RICHARD EDEN: The tragic event that I believe led to Kate shouldering the blame for the photo-editing fiasco rather than the Palace yes-men who should have taken the rap

As heir to the throne, the Prince of Wales has always needed to surround himself with wise courtiers. And King Charles’s cancer diagnosis has made that need even more urgent.

The entirely needless controversy over Prince William’s Mothering Sunday photograph of his wife the Princess of Wales and their three children was a clear demonstration that he is not receiving wise advice.

After some of the world’s biggest picture agencies were forced to ‘kill’ the image amid fears that it had been digitally manipulated, sources at Kensington Palace were quick to suggest that it was not officials who had edited it.

Catherine then felt the need to post a personal apology on social media the following morning, accepting all the blame herself.

‘Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing,’ she explained. ‘I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused. I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother’s Day.’

When the picture of Kate with the children was handed to her officials, they should have examined it closely

I am told that William and Kate are still ‘haunted’ by the tragic death of a nurse at a hospital where Catherine was being treated in 2012

Making clear the apology was from her alone, she signed the statement with a ‘C’ for Catherine.’

As I made clear on our special edition of the Daily Mail’s hit show Palace Confidential on Monday, it was wrong that Catherine was ‘thrown under a bus’ in this way.

The couple’s handsomely paid communications experts are responsible for photographs issued by Kensington Palace, whoever happens to hold the camera. They should have taken the blame.

Their communications secretary Lee Thompson, who was appointed amid great fanfare in 2022, is meant to be an expert in public relations. Why did this supposed PR whizz, who previously worked for America’s NBC television group, allow Catherine to make a personal mea culpa rather than issue a statement from Kensington Palace?

To me, it seems that he and other senior officials appear keener to avoid sullying their own reputations than protecting our future queen as she recovers from major surgery.

Even if we accept that Catherine did alter the photograph, when it was handed to her officials, who had no doubt been encouraging her to share such a happy picture, they should have examined it closely. In his senior position, Thompson would have known that media organisations are increasingly concerned about digital manipulation of images. British newspapers won’t run news photographs that have been altered in this way.

Kate and communications secretary Lee Thompson at a polo event in Surrey last year

‘Did you make any changes to the photo?’ Thompson might have asked his boss. Or, indeed, ‘Are you sure you don’t want to wear your wedding rings, given the ridiculous speculation online?’

So why do this royal couple have such a strong instinct to protect their staff from public criticism?  

Instead, it was Catherine, with typical generosity and kindness, who accepted full responsibility.

I am told that she and William are still ‘haunted’ by the tragic death of a nurse at a hospital where Catherine was being treated in 2012. Jacintha Saldanha, who worked at King Edward VII’s Hospital in Marylebone, London, took her own life three days after falling for a prank call by two Australian radio DJs pretending to be the Queen and Prince Charles.

She had transferred the call to a colleague who was looking after Catherine.

The conversation that the two DJs subsequently had with the second nurse about the duchess’s medical condition was broadcast by the station.

Ms Saldanha, who was from India, left three handwritten notes, one of which blamed the radio stunt for her death.

In an email to her colleague she wrote: “It’s all my fault and I feel very bad about this getting you involved. Please accept my apologies.

Prince William wrote a moving letter to her family afterwards in which he said: ‘Jacintha and her colleagues looked after us extremely well and I am just so sorry that someone who cared for others so much found themselves in such a desperate situation.’

Friends of William and Catherine tell me Ms Saldanha’s death left a deep impression on them. The tragedy made the couple even more determined that no one working for them should ever be publicly humiliated.

I hope that William makes sure he appoints officials who are willing to ask difficult questions and give him unwelcome advice.

There should be no place at the palace for yes-men.

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