Michael Cole has branded the Princess Kate image 'manipulation' storm a "disaster" for her and Prince William, after a new image of the future Queen with their children sparked widespread speculation.
The new image, released in a social media post to celebrate Mother's Day, caused controversy after royal fans spotted some editing mishaps in the photo.
Princess Charlotte's cardigan and Prince Louis's hand went viral after appearing to have been distorted in the photo's editing process.
In a statement released today by the Princess of Wales, she personally apologised for any "confusion" caused by the photo taken by Prince William, and confirmed she had edited the photo herself.
Michael Cole says the image is an 'own goal' for the Prince and Princess
GB News / X / KensingtonRoyal
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, the Princess confirmed: "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."
Reacting to the image and the speculation, former BBC Royal Correspondent Michael Cole said the scandal has "compromised the credibility" of the Royal Family.
He added that the reaction to the image's release is an "absolute fiasco" and is "not a trivial matter".
Princess Kate has issued an apology after the image caused speculation
PA
Cole told GB News: "It is a lesson in how to turn success into immediate failure. It is very serious - if you compromise truth, credibility goes with it."
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Discussing the decision by four major press agencies to withdraw the image ahead of the Princess's statement, Cole explained: "They have to spot fakes because there are people out there, the warring factions, peddling propaganda.
"It's totally insane. And I'm afraid it does undercut the credibility of the Royal Family. The importance cannot be exaggerated."
Predicting the impact the image scandal will have on the Prince and Princess of Wales, Cole asserted that it is a "disaster" for the royal couple.
He noted: "This is disaster by Photoshop and it's such a big mistake by a press officer to do that. This is the age of fake news and artificial intelligence."
Michael Cole says the image mishap is a 'disaster' for the Prince and Princess
GB News
Cole continued: "This is a major own goal, you can't get away from it. It's a slippery slope.
"You cannot compromise truth without your credibility going down the drain. And I'm afraid this is a major mistake."
In a further statement, Kensington Palace has said it "would not be reissuing the original unedited photograph" of Princess Kate and the children.
