With the UK royal family reeling from a series of turbulent events and health issues, its reputation has been under serious scrutiny.
While King Charles has chosen to be open about his cancer diagnosis, Catherine, the Princess of Wales, has been less forthcoming.
No one - not even royals or celebrities - should be forced to share the full details of private medical issues with the masses. It should be a personal choice.
But while her reticence to talk about her health is entirely understandable on a human level, from a communication perspective it left a vacuum which, as always, was filled with rumour and ill informed conjecture.
On the basis that a picture is worth a thousand words, the recent photograph of Catherine with her children should have reduced the chatter about her health.
However, far from quelling speculation, news that the photo had been manipulated by the Princess stimulated further controversy and conspiracy theories.
Protecting your reputation when under the spotlight means being completely open, honest and straight forward. Any deviation from this causes stakeholders to doubt your word and further fuels speculation.
More thoughts from me in the Forbes article below:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/edwardsegal/2024/03/11/kate-middletons-doctored-photo-is-cautionary-tale-for-executives/?sh=4af30d302be4