The Princess of Wales has been front and centre in 2025. And following her cancer diagnosis, and year-long recovery, Princess Kate - now in remission, is said to be resuming her royal duties.
This includes her online presence, with the mother of three increasing her social media activity over the past few months. And with this weekend marking Mother's Day, fans and followers were expecting a special post from the future Queen.
The royal traditionally shares personal and previously-unseen photographs with her children to mark the annual occasion, with her posts known to be popular with the public.
However, this year, in a major break from tradition, the Princess of Wales opted against sharing a family photograph, instead posting a video in celebration of Mother Nature.
"Over the past year, nature has been our sanctuary," Princess Kate captioned the surprise upload. "This Mother’s Day, let us celebrate Mother Nature and recognise how our bond with the natural world can help not only nurture our inner selves, but remind us too of the role we play within the rich tapestry of life. C."
Princess Kate's video upload certainly proved popular, raking in over 146k likes, but fans and followers were quick to share their disappointment at the absence of a new family photo.
Of course, the change in social media approach is not surprising, with the Wales family's 2024 Mother's Day photograph shrouded in controversy. In fact, royal expert Russell Myers reported at the time on the Royal Beat podcast that "Kate may never put a picture out again" because of it.
The official 2024 portrait showed Princess Kate sitting in a chair surrounded by her children, but it was later revealed to have been digitally altered and even retracted by photo agencies - causing a full-on media storm.
And with eagle-eyed followers spotting several faults - Princess Charlotte's hand not matching up with her sleeve and Princess Kate's misaligned zip, the Princess of Wales was forced to release a statement taking accountability.
"Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing," she later posted in an unprecedented apology. "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."
The unfortunately timed incident came amid the growing conspiracy theories around Princess Kate's disappearance following her abdominal surgery, with the Princess of Wales forced to reveal her diagnosis just over a week later.
"After the debacle last year I do not blame them for not posting [a family photograph]," read one follower's comment on the Wales family's 2025 video. Another added: "After how everyone behaved last year, I wouldn't be surprised if she ever shared one again - And I couldn't blame her one bit."
"Congratulations on beating the haters at their own game," read another comment. "We're so sad that their heinous treatment of you at the lowest time of your life has deprived those of us who love and respect you and your family of a photo of you and your beautiful children."
The Prince and Princess of Wales have not commented on the situation.
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