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Will Kate Middleton break tradition for Prince Louis' Birthday? We may have the answer
As a tradition Kate Middleton and Prince William post a family portrait on Prince Louis' birthday every year.
Royal watchers are eagerly awaiting Prince Louis' upcoming 6th birthday on April 23, wondering if Kate Middleton and Prince William will uphold their tradition of sharing a new portrait of their youngest son, especially after the recent Mother's Day photo controversy.
The Sunday Times reported that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are likely to continue this tradition. "They appreciate the public’s love and affection for their children and know there is a public appetite to see them on their birthdays," an aide told the outlet.
However, sources close to the royal couple revealed there is no "firm decision" yet on whether Princess Kate, 42, will take the picture herself or hire a professional photographer.
Since the birth of their first child, Prince George, 10, both Prince William, 41, and Princess Kate have released new photos for each of their children's birthdays. The Duchess, an "enthusiastic amateur photographer," often takes on the role of capturing these milestone moments.
The integrity of these royal portraits has recently come under scrutiny. The Princess of Wales issued an apology on March 11 for "any confusion" caused by the Mother's Day photo released on March 10. Following its release, several global photo agencies, including Getty Images, the Associated Press, and Reuters, removed the image from their press libraries due to suspicions of manipulation.
In her social media statement, signed "C" for Catherine, the Duchess admitted to occasionally experimenting with photo editing. Sky News later analyzed the image's metadata and claimed to find evidence of Photoshop manipulation.
A week later, Getty Images announced that another royal family photo, depicting Queen Elizabeth with some of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, was digitally enhanced at the source.
London-based public relations and crisis communications expert Mark Borkowski commented on the situation, stating that the recent photo controversies are "damning" for the royal brand. He expressed concerns about the lack of transparency surrounding Kate's health and criticized the poor decision-making regarding the allegedly doctored photos.
