Cancer-hit Kate was treated appallingly over the Photoshop backlash – here’s who I blame, says biographer Tom Bower

CANCER-stricken Princess Kate was “treated appallingly” over her Photoshop fail, according to a royal biographer.

Outspoken royal expert Tom Bower claimed to The Sun’s Royal Exclusive show that the saga was a “tragedy” and “self-inflicted wound”.

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Kate’s Mother’s Day photo - released on March 10 - sparked an online frenzy after royal fans claimed the picture was edited - before photo agencies ordered a "kill notice" on the pic.

Tom claimed to The Sun’s Royal Editor Matt Wilkinson that the palace was at fault for the photo error, not Princess Kate.

He alleged: “I think the palace played it appallingly at that stage and landed her with that dreadful situation where she did the Photoshop photograph, which was just a tragedy, a self-inflicted wound. 

“They could have avoided all that it had only they’d thought far more carefully about it.”

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He added: “I think that there was a period where Kate clearly where people say ‘what's wrong with her’ and the trolls were inventing all sorts of falsehoods.”

The photo, which showed Princess Kate sitting on a chair surrounded by her three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, was withdrawn from five large news agencies - PA, AP, Getty Images, Reuters, AFP - over fears it had been 'edited at source'.

It came as the Princess of Wales had been absent from royal duties since Christmas, due to planned abdominal surgery in January and her recovery time.

Following the uproar, Princess Kate broke her silence, admitting that she had "experimented with editing".

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The Princess of Wales announced on March 22, 2024 that she had been diagnosed with cancer and revealed she is undergoing preventative chemotherapy treatment after post-operation tests came back positive.

Tom continued: “Well, you know, the trouble is, she's a mother. 

“She's clearly very ill. 

“It has been a huge shock for her, because she's so young and cancer among young people has a terrible record compared to older people. 

“So she rightly feared for her life and for her children.”

Princess Kate has since undertaken two public events since her cancer announcement, Trooping the Colour on June 15 and the Wimbledon Men’s Final on July 14.

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Meanwhile it was announced in February that King Charles had been diagnosed with cancer and Princess Anne spent five days in hospital after suffering a concussion in a horse accident on the Gatcombe Park estate in Gloucestershire this month.

Tom claimed the royal family’s recent health battles pose an “existential threat” to the “British way of life.”

He explained: “We all saw her [Princess Kate] at Wimbledon, she was terrific and rightly, huge applause for her.

“But it does, again, it poses a great challenge, and it poses an existential threat and that's again, these times where the one thing which is secure in the British way of life is the monarchy and whatever happens in politics or tragedies like COVID that the rock solid existence of Britain is identification with its monarchy and at the moment, of course, that is a problem because of their illnesses.”

In a personally written statement released on June 14, Princess Kate said she was making "good progress’, explaining that there are "good days and bad days".

She wrote her treatment will be "ongoing and will be for a few more months" and that she is "not out of the woods yet".

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Kate added: "I am learning how to be patient, especially with uncertainty. Taking each day as it comes, listening to my body, and allowing myself to take this much needed time to heal."

She also thanked the public, saying: “Thank you so much for your continued understanding, and to all of you who have so bravely shared your stories with me.”