“No, certainly not,” Chetwynd said when asked if the palace was still a reliable source. “As with anything, when a source lets you down, the bar is raised.”
Last weekend, several news agencies — including the Associated Press (AP), Reuters, Getty Images and AFP — issued “kill notices” over a Mother’s Day photo released by Kensington Palace, which showed the Princess of Wales. She hugs her three smiling children.
The photo was published in part in an apparent attempt to quell a wave of online conspiracy theories about the whereabouts and well-being of Kate, who has not been seen in public since undergoing abdominal surgery earlier this year. But the world's major media agencies quickly pulled it from circulation after discovering it It appears to have been manipulated– A bombshell that only fueled a rumor mill that was already out of control.
Kate later Admit to editing the photo, with apologies for “any confusion.” But the damage was done, as the scandal fueled a crisis of confidence that was already brewing at Kensington Palace.
“The only thing that's really important is that you can't distort reality for the public. There's an issue of trust,” Chetwynd said.
Chetwynd said AFP initially verified the authenticity of the photo, but that should not have been done because it “clearly violated” its guidelines.
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