Sophie Attwood, PR specialist, has shared her thoughts on the Kate Middleton photograph saga – she applauded the Princess of Wales for issuing a prompt appology
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Kate Middleton’s photo apology has shown just how “honest” the princess really is, according to an expert.
Sophie Attwood, PR specialist, made the remarks after Kate issued a public statement over the “amateur” Mother’s Day image. The picture, which showed the mum posing with her three children, received a backlash after critics spotted some unusual details, including a missing wedding ring.
Social media users speculated whether the plants in the background were strange for this time of the year, as well as noticing how all of the children’s fingers were crossed. Several news agencies issued a “kill” order on the photograph after believing that it had been manipulated.
Following the crisis, Kate apologised for the “confusion” and said she was behind the negatively-received image. She said: “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.”
Attwood says Kate’s apology was “authentic” and explained why it showed how “trustworthy” she is. The expert told Tatler : “Trust and open communication are the key to the success of any brand, especially in an age in which social media grants us greater access to these people than ever before. The Royal Family have done the right thing in addressing the situation with the honesty and openness that the public have come to know and expect.”
The specialist, who wrote Beautiful PR: Finding Your Brand’s Heartbeat For Authenticity In Communication, described the princess as “approachable and human”. She explained that this was partially due to Kate signing off the message with ‘C’.
“I also really like the fact that this has been designed to appear as a really short apology, leveraging the shorter character count on Twitter and reducing the formality of the situation – acknowledging the stories but making the situation appear like it’s simply not a big deal,” Attwood added. “The steps that [the royals] have taken in order to address the confusion and reinforce the idea that they are trustworthy, honest and open will likely support this.”
Her comments come at a time when the Royal Family has faced scrutiny over trust and transparency concerns. Both Kate and King Charles have recently undergone health treatments, which is proving a tumultuous time for the family, as the public question whether they are being left in the dark.
The King was recently diagnosed with cancer, whilst the mum continues to recover from an abdominal surgery. Charles recently said: “I would like to express my most heartfelt thanks for the many messages of support and good wishes I have received in recent days. As all those who have been affected by cancer will know, such kind thoughts are the greatest comfort and encouragement.”
