Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have distanced themselves from recent comments made in the New York Post regarding Kate Middleton's Photoshop crisis. The Princess of Wales apologized on Monday for editing a family portrait released on Mother's Day in the U.K., which was subsequently "killed" by four picture agencies due to concerns over image manipulation.
In a story published by Page Six, the Post's gossip column, "Sources close to Meghan Markle and Prince Harry" were quoted as saying, "This isn't a mistake that Meghan would ever make...she has a keen eye and freakish attention to detail." The sources also suggested that "if Harry and Meghan had ever encountered the same issue they would have been annihilated" and that "the same rules do not apply to both couples."
However, a spokesperson from the couple's Archewell Foundation told Newsweek, "With respect to Page Six, that did not come from us." While it is possible that the quotes originated from someone connected to the Sussexes who expressed a personal opinion, they were not officially authorized to speak on the couple's behalf.
Kate's photo editing scandal has plunged Kensington Palace into a major reputational crisis, with trust in the institution as a reliable source of information at risk. In a Twitter post on Monday, the princess wrote, "Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing. 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. C."
Despite her apology, pressure continues to mount, with normally supportive British newspapers like the Daily Mail becoming more critical of the royal family. Sarah Vine, a columnist for the newspaper, warned William and Kate to "come clean about what's really going on-or risk drowning in a quagmire of their own making."
Richard Eden, the Daily Mail's diary editor, also took aim at Prince William for allowing Kate to take the fall alone, despite being the one who took the photograph. "I think it's disgraceful," he said on his Palace Confidential online show. "It's very ungentlemanly of Prince William to put the onus on her. For goodness sake, he's the one who took the photograph."
As the drama unfolds, the British press has attempted to draw Harry and Meghan into the narrative. Earlier this week, photographer and close friend Misan Harriman took to X to rebut recent tabloid headlines that accused him of digitally manipulating the black-and-white portrait he shot for the couple's 2021 pregnancy announcement. Harriman slammed his accusers for their "dangerous and unacceptable behavior," sharing the original colorized version of the shot to prove his point.
"To see an article saying, as fact, that I did what I did not do is extraordinary to me," Harriman said in a video posted to the social media platform. "And then to try and merge it with this current news cycle of what's happening is just-is tragic to see."
As the royal family grapples with the fallout from Kate's photo editing scandal, it remains to be seen how the palace will navigate the crisis and restore public trust. With the Princess of Wales not expected to return to public duties until after Easter, according to the original timeline, the pressure on the royal family is likely to persist in the coming weeks.
Meanwhile, Harry and Meghan's refusal to be drawn into the controversy serves as a reminder of the ongoing tensions within the royal family and the media's relentless pursuit of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, even as they strive to maintain their distance from the palace and its affairs.
