Cancer-stricken Kate was treated terribly because of Photoshop backlash – here’s who I blame, says biographer Tom Bower

Cancer-stricken Princess Kate was “treated terribly” because of her Photoshop fail, according to a royal biographer.

Outspoken royal expert Tom Bower told The Sun’s Royal Exclusive program that the saga was a “tragedy” and a “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 photo was edited – before photo agencies ordered a “deletion notice” on the photo.

Tom told The Sun’s royal editor Matt Wilkinson that the palace was to blame for the photo error, not Princess Kate.

He claimed: “I think the palace acted appallingly at that stage and got her into that terrible situation where she took the photograph in Photoshop, which was just a tragedy, a self-inflicted wound.

“They could have avoided all of this if they had thought much more carefully about it.”

He added: “I think there was a period where Kate was clearly saying ‘what’s wrong with her’ and trolls were coming up with all sorts of falsehoods.”

The photo, which showed Princess Kate sitting in a chair surrounded by her three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis were pulled from five major news outlets – PA, AP, Getty Images, Reuters, AFP – over fears it had been “edited at source”.

Came like the Princess of Wales had been absent from royal duties since Christmas due to abdominal surgery planned for January and recovery time.

Following the uproar, Princess Kate broke her silence, admitting that she had “tried editing”.

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

Tom continued: “Well, you know, the problem is, she’s a mother.

“She is clearly very ill.

“It was a big shock for her because she is very young and cancer among young people has a terrible record compared to older people.

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

Princess Kate has since held two public events since her cancer announcement, Trooping the Color 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 riding accident at the Gatcombe Park estate in Gloucestershire this month.

Tom claimed the recent health the battles represent an “existential threat” to the “British way of life”.

He explained: “We all saw her [Princess Kate] at Wimbledon she was great and rightly so, lots of applause for her.

“But it represents, again, a huge challenge, and it represents an existential threat and this is again, in these times when the only thing that is safe in the British way of life is the monarchy and everything that happens in policy or tragedies like COVID that the solid existence of Britain is identification with its monarchy and right now, of course, that is a problem because of its 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 that her treatment will be “ongoing and will last a few more months” and that she is “not out of the woods yet.”

Kate added: “I’m learning 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 audience, saying, “Thank you so much for your continued understanding and to all of you who have so bravely shared your stories with me.”