Just three days after the first official portrait of Kate Middleton was unveiled, to a mostly negative reception, the Palace revealed new details about the royal baby. Today (Monday), in a carefully-worded statement on the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's official website, the Palace confirmed the couple is expecting a baby (singular) in July.
The announcement is the first and only official statement the Palace has made on the royal baby since announcing Kate Middleton's pregnancy six weeks ago -- and the timing can't be ignored. It comes just three days (the first business day) after the unveiling of the Duchess' portrait. The photographic-like painting by Paul Emsley was highly criticized for making the usually flawless Kate look older than her 31 years. Art critics, the media, and even the public on social media networks described the commissioned royal portrait as "rotten," "ghastly," and "botched." Since the portrait was unveiled on a Friday, the negative headlines continued through the weekend dominating all Kate Middleton-related news.
The timing of Kate Middleton's due date confirmation, then, begs the question if it's simply a distraction to stop the negative portrait buzz in its tracks. Kate is no stranger to distraction PR. Remember, in November 2012, she stepped out with newly cut bangs, in what was widely considered a move to distract from royal baby buzz. At the time, talk over whether Kate was pregnant had reached a feverish pitch. It turns out, the Duchess of Cambridge was secretly pregnant. Just days after showing off her new 'do, she and Prince William confirmed the pregnancy prematurely. The media dropped the fringe story as fast as Kate entered the hospital with acute morning sickness.
Do you think the royal baby update was a strategic move to stop the negative press over Kate Middleton's portrait? Leave a comment below.
Comments