There is a lot that has been written about the video footage of Princess Kate and Prince William at the Windsor Farm Shop.
Readers of my Instagram stories will know my views on this - the video is indeed her and the reaction to this video just shows how insane the social media frenzy around this story has become.
A gentle reminder that nothing has been revealed that overrides the simple facts we actually know - the princess underwent abdominal surgery, she had a two-week stay in hospital, she is now recovering at home, she apologised for editing the Mother’s Day photo (this was probably the biggest error the royal family has made in this entire mess) and she will return to work after the Easter break. Everything else is noise and speculation. Are there relevant questions? Of course, not least how Kensington Palace’s PR team allowed this mess to spiral quite so out of control. But the fact remains a woman has asked for privacy, and she is entitled to it.
There’s lots I could say about that farm shop footage - and there’s a summary of the news developments in the full news list - but I will focus on the issue of privacy here.
Some people have - quite fairly - asked why the British press felt they could not publish the image of Kate being driven by her mother a couple of weeks ago in order to respect her privacy but have all run with the farm shop images.
To the outsider it may appear suspicious that one photo didn’t get used, whereas this video is being widely promoted and shared by the mainstream media.
This confusion has led some people to suggest the video has been faked by the palace or with the approval of the palace. The explanation is fairly simple.
The answer is that both could be called a breach of privacy, however based on the events of the last few days there is a greater public interest defence for publishing the farm shop photo.
The image of Kate in the car was shot pre-Mother’s Day. The farm shop footage was shot post-Mother’s Day.
It was the Mother’s Day photo editing drama that sparked legitimate questions - not about where is Kate (I refer you to the facts at the top), but about the royal family’s PR handling of the issue.
There was a greater public interest argument for running this photo, given the Mother’s Day fiasco had led to an explosion of speculation and conspiracy theories.
Now just because the royal household has allowed the farm shop footage to be published without any angry legal letters reminding editors of the couple’s right to privacy, that does not mean William and Catherine sacrifice all rights to privacy going forward.
This is simply a matter of context. And in this context the press will have done the math. They knew the royal family would be unlikely to take legal action and even if they did, the media knew that there was a decent legal argument to be made in favour of publication.
And finally if you are tired of all of this and struggling to grasp why it has become the online phenomenon that it has, do not worry. Once Catherine has returned to duties next month, after an initial flurry of excitement, it will be back to business as usual.
The palace will still have bridges to build in terms of trust and I think the reputation of the institution has taken a knock just from association with this soap opera that has unfolded.
But the frenzy will calm, and some people may be left feeling rather silly.
This weekly news list is your summary of some of the biggest stories of the week. It’s also where I shed some more light on what’s behind the headlines. Subscribing is free and will get you access to two posts a month. Upgrading to a paid subscription supports my writing and means you get all four posts a month.
Donald Trump cannot find a private company to guarantee the $464million he has been ordered to pay in a New York civil fraud case. The former president must either pay the full amount in cash or secure a bond to avoid having assets seized. If he is unable to do so by 25 March, he faces the prospect of some of his real estate assets being seized by the state's attorney general. His lawyers have asked for this to be put on hold while Trump appeals the verdict in the case. Can’t recall what lawsuits and criminal charges Trump is facing? Here’s a handy guide to the cases against Trump.
Jeremy Hunt reportedly told entrepreneur Sir James Dyson to run for election himself if he wants to set government policy. A clash between the Chancellor and the high-profile businessmen occurred during a meeting at No 11 Downing Street last week, which was arranged to discuss research and development tax relief. The dispute, which was first reported by the Financial Times, took place after what was reportedly an “awful meeting”.
Leadership challenge rumours have been darkening Rishi Sunak’s week, with both Penny Mordaunt and Tom Tugendhat suggested as potential rivals. Amid frustration that the spring budget has done nothing to tip the polls in the Tories’ favour, some backbenchers have been discussing installing a new leader. However some Conservatives think the idea of installing a fifth leader in five years is absurd. Meanwhile Sunak has been put under pressure to name a date for the general election. This week he ruled out May 2, and still seems to be hinting the general election will take place in the second half of the year. When the PM does call the election he must allow 25 working days for preparation.
A YouGov poll places Labour 25 points ahead of the Conservatives. But perhaps more worrying for the Tories is the narrowing hap between them and Reform UK. Reform UK, which is to the right of the Conservative party on issues like immigration, is the successor to the Brexit party.
The government’s flagship Rwanda bill has been sent back to MPs after peers rejected it. The Safety of Rwanda Bill had been debated in the House of Lords after their previous changes were dismissed by the Commons earlier this week. In the upper chamber, the government lost seven votes by margins of around 50. The last time peers voted on amendments, the government lost by around 100 votes. This means that a new vote will need to be scheduled in the Commons for MPs to consider the changes. While Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said he wants flights to get off the ground in the spring, it is unclear if the two parliamentary houses will be able to reach a consensus before they go on recess next week.
The Guardian has revealed the membership list of the men-only Garrick Club, featuring scores of leading lawyers, heads of publicly funded arts institutions, the head of the civil service and King Charles. Members also include the deputy prime minister, the secretary of state for levelling up, the chief executive of the Royal Opera House as well as Richard Moore, the head of the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6). Simon Case, the cabinet secretary, resigned his membership this week after the story went live, following criticism over the male-only entry requirements.
UK inflation fell to 3.4% in February – the lowest level for two and a half years – according to official figures that show the annual rate of price rises starting to ease again after remaining unchanged the previous month. The decline in the consumer prices index (CPI) will give a boost to Rishi Sunak, who has made reducing inflation one of his top pledges, and add to speculation that the Bank of England will cut interest rates in the summer. A reduction in the rate of inflation does not mean that prices are falling, just that they are rising more slowly.
Analysis of data coming from Gaza shows the death toll released by the Hamas-run health ministry is likely to be accurate, Time reports. Israel has been critical of the information released by Hamas, as it says the terror group deliberately misleads the world to further its cause.
Israeli forces have killed 90 Hamas gunmen and taken at least 160 in for questioning in a two-day-long raid on the largest hospital in Gaza City. Two Israeli soldiers were reportedly killed in the operation in Al Shifa Hospital. The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said a senior Hamas commander, Faiq Mabhouch, who headed the terrorist group’s internal security operations, was killed in the “precise” raid. The World Health Organisation condemned the attack on the hospital, saying it had endangered patients and civilians sheltering there.
A woman held hostage after Hamas killed her husband and daughter has described her ordeal. Chen Almog-Goldstein has told how she witnessed Hamas terrorists shoot dead her 20 year old daughter and husband before she was taken hostage along with her three surviving children.
Haiti’s healthcare system has all but collapsed amid the ferocious gang insurrection which forced the resignation of the country’s prime minister. It means that victims of the violence have little hope of medical attention, according to aid workers in the stricken Caribbean country. In the past two weeks hospitals have been set ablaze, doctors murdered and the most basic medical supplies have now dried up. Only a single public hospital in Haiti’s capital now remains operational – and that too is expected to shut its doors soon. Unicef's executive director, Catherine Russell, has called the situation in Haiti "horrific" and likened the lawlessness to the post-apocalyptic film, Mad Max.
In news everyone saw coming, Vladimir Putin has claimed his fifth term as president with a landslide victory. The president beat three other candidates all rubber-stamped by the Kremlin. Supporters of dead Putin critic Alexei Navalny staged symbolic protests, called Noon Against Putin. Protesters formed long queues at polling stations from midday in Russian cities including Moscow and St Petersburg and in even greater numbers outside many embassies abroad. The Atlantic writes of the sham election: “Russians did line up at polling stations, but these were not actually polling stations. They were props in an elaborate piece of political theater, a months-long exercise in the projection of power and brutality.” The Financial Times described Putin’s fifth term as “a threat to Europe, and the world".
Ireland’s Prime Minister Leo Varadkar has announced his resignation, citing “personal and political, but mainly political reasons” in a surprise move. Flanked by colleagues outside government buildings in Dublin on Wednesday, Varadkar said he felt he was no longer the “best man” for the job. He said he would stay as prime minister until a successor can be elected after parliament returns from recess next month. The Irish Times reported the timing of the announcement had left many people “scratching their heads”.
Detectives have made a plea for anyone with information about Claudia Lawrence's disappearance to break their silence, as officers mark 15 years since the university chef went missing. The chef, who was 35 at the time, failed to arrive for work at the University of York on 18 March 2009. Police believe she was murdered, although her body has never been found and no charges have ever been brought. Wayne Fox, from North Yorkshire Police, said "silence" was the only barrier to solving Ms Lawrence's disappearance.
Three members of staff at the private clinic where the Princess of Wales had abdominal surgery are being investigated for allegedly trying to access her medical records. The London Clinic said it will take "all appropriate investigatory, regulatory and disciplinary steps" following reports of data breaches. In a statement, Al Russell, the CEO of the London Clinic said: "There is no place at our hospital for those who intentionally breach the trust of any of our patients or colleagues.” The UK privacy and data protection watchdog, the Information Commissioner’s Office, said it had received a breach report.
Video footage of the Princess of Wales visiting a local farm shop has been shared by The Sun and TMZ. While the images of Catherine carrying shopping as she left Windsor Farm Shop with William on Sunday has been widely welcomed as a sign she is recovering well, it has done little to dispel conspiracy theories surrounding her medical leave. It is thought Kate may make a “soft return” to public duties with an appearance at the Easter weekend church service in Windsor. She is not expected to return to royal engagements until after the end of the Easter break, which would be after April 17. As conspiracy theories have become louder on social media, the media has allowed its agenda to be dominated by those voices, even repeating some of the claims. This has particularly been the case in US press, where laws and regulation are not as tough as in the UK.
Good summary, and interesting why this breach of privacy was waved past but not the first TMZ pic. Maybe the fact it was a member of the public and not paparazzi?
I would say that “she apologised for editing the Mother’s Day photo” isn’t quite how I read the letter of her statement though. She says she has experimented with editing photos and also apologies for the confusion with the Mother’s Day photo but doesn’t actually say it was her that edited it or apologises for the editing (just the confusion). So one inference but not the only one!