Kate Middleton's photo scandal leaves Meghan Markle 'conflicted' despite her own family victory: expert

Meghan Markle may have scored a legal victory, but several royal experts insist the Duchess of Sussex is also paying close attention to the drama unfolding across the pond.

The 42-year-old’s lengthy battle with her half-sister, Samantha Markle, came to a close on Tuesday. Samantha’s defamation lawsuit, originally brought against the duchess in 2022, was dismissed with prejudice, which means Samantha cannot file the claims again.

Samantha had alleged that she was defamed by her famous sibling during her 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, along with the Netflix series "Harry & Meghan." A spokesperson for Markle didn’t immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

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"Sure, Meghan is delighted that she once again beat her half-sister in court," Christopher Andersen, author of "The King," told Fox News Digital. "But there’s no doubt that Meghan and [her husband, Prince] Harry are also keeping a very close eye on what’s happening back in the U.K."

Markle’s recent triumph came as her sister-in-law, Princess Kate Middleton, is in the middle of a social media firestorm.

On Monday, the Princess of Wales spoke out after news and photo agencies pulled a new photo released by Kensington Palace for Mother’s Day in the U.K. due to suspicions of manipulation. The royal has kept a low profile as she recuperates from recent abdominal surgery for undisclosed reasons.

"Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing," reads a message the mother of three shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram Stories.

"I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused," the 42-year-old wrote. "I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother’s Day."

The message was signed "C" for Catherine.

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A spokesperson for Kensington Palace, which handles the office of the Prince and Princess of Wales, didn’t immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

"Meghan, in particular, must be incredibly conflicted about all the incoming heat Kate and the royals are taking, not to mention the way the palace … continues to bungle things on a daily basis," Andersen explained. "On one hand, Meghan had to be sympathetic about all the stress Kate is going through as she copes with a serious medical issue. On the other hand, the palace media machine has never been more exposed for what it is: a complete mess, a total disaster."

"When the future queen of England spends two weeks in the hospital and then takes months to recuperate – all without any real explanation – it’s hardly any wonder that conspiracy theories would proliferate," Andersen said. "It isn’t difficult to imagine [the drama] that is going on behind palace walls as the power struggle between competing factions inside the monarchy heats up. Who is going to take the blame for the murky palace statements that tell us nothing or for issuing a doctored photo that Kate is then forced to try and explain away? The monarchy’s PR machinery was never that great, but this ... is bungling things in epic fashion."

The image in question showed Middleton with her children, Prince George, Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte. As of Monday afternoon, it remains on the Prince and Princess of Wales' X account.

"Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months. Wishing everyone a Happy Mother’s Day," the caption read, signed with a "C."

Andersen doesn’t doubt that Markle can identify with Middleton’s current struggles with the press. It’s also noted that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have previously spoken out about the many hiccups the palace has had in addressing social media hate and a ruthless U.K. press.

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"Meghan and Harry know what it’s like to wake up and see those screaming tabloid headlines targeting them for one thing or another," said Andersen. "In [the couple’s] case, they were pilloried for, among other things, saying too much. In the royal family’s case, it’s for not saying enough about the medical crisis being faced by Kate … all this uncalled-for secrecy feeds the public’s distrust of the monarchy and, by extension, the royal family itself."

"It’s all gotten so out of hand," Andersen added.

The Associated Press and other news agencies began pulling the image from their websites over concerns that it was "manipulated."

"AP initially published the photo, which was issued by Kensington Palace. But AP later retracted the image because at closer inspection, it appeared the source had manipulated the image in a way that did not meet AP’s photo standards. The photo shows an inconsistency in the alignment of Princess Charlotte’s left hand," the news agency said.

According to AP, their "editorial standards state that images must be accurate. AP does not use altered or digitally manipulated images.

"AP’s news values and principles explain that minor photo editing, including cropping and toning and color adjustments, are acceptable when necessary for clear and accurate reproduction and should maintain the authentic nature of the photograph."

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"Changes in density, contrast, color and saturation levels that substantially alter the original scene are not acceptable. Backgrounds should not be digitally blurred or eliminated by burning down or by aggressive toning. The removal of ‘red eye’ from photographs is not permissible."

When AP determined the photo appeared to have been manipulated, it issued what is known as a "photo kill," an industry term that retracted the image and instructed clients to remove the photo from their systems.

The Associated Press also announced that "no replacement photo will be sent." Fox News Digital confirmed that Reuters and Getty also pulled the photo from their sites.

The caption noted that the photo was taken in "2024" by Middleton's husband, Prince William, who is heir to the British throne.

Speculation about Middleton’s whereabouts and health has been running wild since January when it was announced that she had been hospitalized.

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A spokesperson for Middleton previously commented on the rumors, telling Fox News Digital at the end of February, "Kensington Palace made it clear in January the timelines of the Princess’ recovery and we’d only be providing significant updates. The guidance in January stands that the Princess would be recuperating at home in Windsor."

Recommendations from her medical team indicated that the princess would likely not resume public duties until Easter later this month.

"The Princess of Wales appreciates the interest this statement will generate. She hopes that the public will understand her desire to maintain as much normality for her children as possible; and her wish that her personal medical information remains private," the original statement reads. "The Princess of Wales wishes to apologise to all those concerned for the fact that she has to postpone her upcoming engagements. She looks forward to reinstating as many as possible, as soon as possible."

Royal expert Ian Pelham Turner told Fox News Digital that the key piece of advice he would give the Sussexes right now is to "keep a dignified silence."

"Or, at the very most, release a statement which would say all people can make mistakes in their lives, but they wish a speedy recovery for … the Princess of Wales," he said. "Meghan and Harry may use the situation to support their claims while they feel sympathy. It recognizes as well that not all is what it seems in the House of Windsor."

Pelham Turner said the controversy is a teachable moment for the royal family: the princess should no longer take official portraits of the family and instead rely on the services of seasoned photographers, he said.

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"[They have] responsibility and integrity," he said. "Now everyone is waiting to see if the original image without Photoshop will be released for public scrutiny."

Andersen said this was an "I told you so" moment for Markle.

"She echoed the late Princess Diana’s distrust of the power brokers inside the monarchy," said Andersen. "Now it seems that even Kate, who has always seemed to handle the pressure with effortless grace, is falling victim to palace intrigue and an inept press office.

"The only way to fix things is to come clean. Until all is revealed, confidence in the monarchy as an institution will continue to erode."

Fox News Digital's Lauryn Overhultz and the Associated Press contributed to this report.