Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have broken their silence on the Princess of Wales’ photo editing furor.
They denied that sources inside their camp made comments about how the Duchess of Sussex would have handled a similar situation.
Amid increasing speculation surrounding the Mother’s Day image of Kate and her children, which was released to the world by Kensington Palace on Sunday, a spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s Archewell Foundation spoke out to deny that any official representative for the couple had made comments about the controversy to Page Six.
Not from us
Speaking to Newsweek, the spokesperson addressed quotes published by the outlet, which stated that a source ‘close to Prince William, Harry and his wife’, had not come ‘from us’.
The source in question stated that the editing error ‘isn’t a mistake that Meghan would ever make’, noting that ‘she has a keen eye and freakish attention to detail’.
However, Archewell’s official spokesperson has now insisted to Newsweek that the information ‘did not come from us’, stating simply: ‘With respect to Page Six, that did not come from us.’
First time
The statement marks the first time that Harry, 39, and his wife have officially addressed the photo editing controversy in any official capacity.
In addition to the claims made about Meghan ‘never making the [same] mistake’, Page Six also published quotes from an insider who stated that the Sussexes ‘would have been annihilated’ had they released a similarly-edited image.
‘If Harry and Meghan had ever encountered the same issue they would have been annihilated,’ the source quotes read.
‘The same rules do not apply to both couples.
‘This isn’t a mistake that Meghan would ever make … she has a keen eye and freakish attention to detail.’
The outlet did not state that the quotes had come from inside Archewell however – and Newsweek noted that the comments could have been made by an acquaintance of the Sussexes who is not officially connected to the Foundation.
Meghan and Harry’s response to those claims has come after an explosion of conspiracy theories, after six of the world’s top picture agencies including the Press Association, sensationally pulled the photo from their wires and libraries amid concern that the ‘source has manipulated the image’.
Kate’s explanation
Princess Kate publicly took the blame for the family photograph released by Kensington Palace as she issued an apology for the ‘confusion’ in a statement posted on the Wales’ official Instagram account.
‘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,’ she wrote.
‘I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother’s Day,’ Kate then concluded, before signing off the statement ‘C’ for Catherine.
Despite calls for the original to be published, Kensington Palace said it would not be reissuing the unedited photograph of Kate and her children.
Moving on
In the wake of the public speculation surrounding the image, royal insiders have claimed that the Princess of Wales is eager to move on from the row – and is struggling to deal with the aftermath.
Kate was seen for the first time since the image was released on Monday, when she was pictured leaving Windsor Castle with her husband, Prince William.
It is understood that the Princess of Wales was traveling to a ‘private appointment’ – while Prince William was due to travel to London for two public engagements.
Hospital stay
The mother-of-three was not expected to be seen in public until after Easter following abdominal surgery and two weeks in a private London hospital in January. Her surprise appearance came as wild online conspiracy theories swirled around the princess and her health.
Kensington Palace has come under enormous pressure to release the un-edited image – which experts have said was changed using Photoshop and related AI tools.
The world’s major photo agencies later ‘killed’ the picture after noticing signs of digital editing, including a missing part of Princess Charlotte’s sleeve and the misaligned edge of her wrist and skirt, and the positioning of Kate’s zip.
Ahron Young is an award winning journalist who has covered major news events around the world. Ahron is the Managing Editor and Founder of TICKER NEWS.
A former minister of the Andrews government has criticized Victoria Police for overlooking terror symbols in Melbourne and is urging state Labor to adopt stricter protest regulations akin to those in New South Wales.
Philip Dalidakis, who served from 2015 to 2018, linked the recent arson attack on the Adass Israel synagogue to a failure in public safety measures.
He is advocating for the introduction of protest permits and enhanced police authority to disperse gatherings.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has labeled the synagogue attack an act of terrorism, a stance not shared by Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan, who refrained from such a designation to avoid hindering police investigations.
She characterised the attack as designed to instill fear within the Jewish community.
Community fear
Albanese signaled that the attack fits the definition of terrorism due to its intent to incite community fear.
He highlighted Labor’s commitment to Jewish community safety, referencing $25 million allocated to enhance security and an additional $32.5 million pledged.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton condemned the attack as a national disgrace and accused Labor of failing to address rising antisemitism.
He, along with former Liberal treasurer Josh Frydenberg, called for a formal terrorism designation and the formation of a police taskforce against antisemitism.
Former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his family have been granted political asylum in Moscow, according to a source from the Kremlin reported by TASS.
Assad, who was last in Damascus on Saturday, fled the country early Sunday, as confirmed by both Syrian and Arab security officials.
Russia’s foreign ministry indicated that he had officially stepped down and left the country.
Though Assad planned to address the nation Saturday evening, the speech never took place.
His wife and children had previously departed for Russia in late November, with his brothers-in-law moving to the United Arab Emirates.
Potential risks
President Biden referred to the fall of the Assad regime as a “historic opportunity” for Syrians to shape their future.
He acknowledged both the potential and risks involved.
Biden credited his administration’s actions, such as supporting conflicts in Ukraine and Israel, for weakening Assad’s position by diverting the resources of his allies: Russia, Iran, and Hezbollah.
He reiterated the ongoing U.S. sanctions against Assad’s regime.
The U.S. plans to send senior officials to the region and provide humanitarian aid to support the Syrian people during this transition. Biden confirmed that the U.S. military presence in eastern Syria will continue, particularly to secure prisons housing Islamic State members.
Young men are increasingly taking risks in cryptocurrency and political betting, reporting substantial gains as markets rise.
Investments by young men are significantly outperforming traditional ones.
A diverse portfolio consisting of bitcoin, gold, GameStop, and DraftKings yielded a 62% return in 2023.
Many young male investors view their speculative trades as a pathway to traditional goals, supported by the entertainment aspects of mobile trading. However, owning cryptocurrency and meme stocks is influenced by gender attitudes. Data from the Pew Research Center shows a stark disparity between young male and female investors in crypto ownership.
Political expectations
The recent surge in bitcoin prices is partly due to favorable political expectations surrounding the newly elected administration. Political betting has also grown, with a majority of participants being male and under 30.
Many young men feel compelled to pursue risky investments due to economic pressures and perceived barriers. While they report higher earnings, nearly half claim to face discrimination, contributing to feelings of alienation.
The pandemic fueled increased retail participation in investing, especially among younger demographics. Influencers on online platforms significantly impact investment decisions, often promoting risky behavior.