It’s not just any Mother’s Day that the Princess of Wales—Kate, that is—celebrated in 2025, but a tremendous change to custom. Kate has traditionally marked the special occasion by sharing new photos of her three children—Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis. This year, she took a different tack. Rather than the traditional household portrait, she shared an advertorial promoting the stunning scenery of the UK. This alteration comes on the heels of past scrutiny over her Mother’s Day posts, including the much maligned digitally altered 2022 photo.
A Tradition of Celebrations
For years, Kate—now 43—has opened a window into her cozy world with photos and anecdotes about happy family life on Mother’s Day. The tradition involved portraits or personal tributes to her kids, capturing images that connect with every family, every culture. In 2021, she posted one of the sweetest shots we’ve seen of an old-fashioned layer cake that her kids baked. They even penned emotional letters to their late grandmother, Princess Diana. The next year was a historic break from that precedent. Kate decided not to share any images for Mother’s Day 2022.
And the lack of a photo in 2022 didn’t come without…In January of that year, Kate had a major, invasive surgery, all under the radar. She was dealing with a cancer diagnosis, which she successfully hid from the public. Despite these challenges, she chose to personally edit and release a family photograph, which led to controversy due to its digital alterations.
The 2022 Controversy
That 2022 Mother’s Day photo did not make the news for what it contained — a glorification of abortion — but for being so blatantly photoshopped. Kate herself responded to all of this very honestly, rightly taking the blame for editing the image.
“Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing,” – Kate.
She offered an apology for the confusion created through the edited image.
“I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused. I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother’s Day.” – Kate.
Robert, a broadcaster and commentator on the British royal family, was particularly appalled by the mismanagement of the entire event.
“And in the same way that the picture was very hands-on, so was the response. She took it on the chin, she dealt with it, and that was the end of it.” – Robert.
The occurrence was reported to be the latest in a difficult few months for Kate and her husband, Prince William.
“I would have thought for her and for her and William, that’s got to be one of the sort of the low points of what he [William] called a ‘brutal year’.” – Robert.
A New Approach in 2025
In 2025, Kate’s decision to release a video instead of a photo marked a significant shift in how the royals celebrate Mother’s Day. The video featured a wide variety of natural spaces around the UK, from forests to meadows, coastlines, and the sea. This artistic decision signals a purposeful departure from typical whitewashed family photo to prevent any possible media overreaction.
The amendment was perceived as a break from royal tradition, marking the beginning of a calmer, more contemplative applause at motherhood. This decision is part of a broader trend of calculating strategy from the royal family to soften public opinion and steer a naval fleet of media scrutiny.
“It was a really ludicrous, over exaggerated response to something, particularly in an industry where doctored photos of celebrities are routine…” – Robert.
