IF IT WASN’T enough to have to haul yourself in front of the world’s media mere hours after giving birth, Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge is also obliged to look well… well.
In fact, that’s an understatement; Prince William’s wife is obliged to look impeccable.
No matter how it’s dressed up or tiptoed around, it simply wouldn’t do if the Queen’s granddaughter-in-law looked anything less than radiant while posing with the latest addition to the British Royal Family.
And on the three occasions she’s endured the glare of the photographers’ flashbulbs following the arrival of another royal newborn, she’s looked just that.
More than ‘well’, more than ‘gorgeous’, Kate has looked utterly radiant.
While the rest of womankind would still be reeling from the intensity of the labour and keening for just one more slice of toast, Kate Middleton is required to stand on the steps of the Lindo Wing of St Mary’s Maternity Hospital in Paddington, and present a face of utter contentment to the press and public.
And following the birth of her first son in 2013, her daughter in 2015 and her second son just this week, Kate played the game, posed with her child, and endured a level of international scrutiny most women – let alone new mothers – would balk at.
So, why an Australian publication felt the need to photoshop Kate’s image on the cover of their latest edition is beyond most people’s comprehension.
Woman’s Day accompanied the story of the royal birth with the same photo of Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge that has been circulating all over the globe… but appear to have photoshopped it within an inch of its life.
In fact, the magazine seemed to deem it necessary to alter the couple’s skin tone, whiten their teeth, and basically present two plastic (and frankly, unsettling) royals to the public.
The notion that photos as joyful as the ones Prince William and his wife posed for earlier this week would require any editing seems absolutely absurd, even in the digitally-enhanced age we currently live.
Undoubtedly, there will be some who will argue that if a little appalling photoshop is her biggest worry than she’s doing well for herself, but it’s worth remembering that, in this instance, Kate is first and foremost a new mother, fresh from giving birth, and not a commodity that requires editing to ensure circulation.
