You don’t have to go far to now find theories that Catherine has been kidnapped, she’s left her husband or been a victim of a terrible accident.

And while the palace was, not long ago, lauded for getting on the front foot with Catherine and King Charles’ health problems, inevitably a little bit of honesty was never going to be enough.

Catherine’s absence has created a vacuum, which has enabled conspiracy theories to take root, and scrutiny has been heightened precisely because there are no stories about her for journalists to write. William and Catherine have an understandable need to protect their children, but they should have been aware her absence was causing the public to question the lack of information on her health condition.

And now the House of Windsor is embroiled in a newly-minted PR crisis, with experts upbraiding the palace for its “amateur moves”.

The furore surrounding the whole saga has perhaps even surpassed the notorious Oprah interview with Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.

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And now the family, which has survived the abdication of Edward VIII in 1936, Camillagate, the War of the Waleses, the death of Princess Diana, Elizabeth’s Annus Horribilis, Andrew’s close friendship with the criminal Jeffrey Epstein and “Megxit”, is facing a new crisis.

It feels like there is something bigger going on behind the scenes and the situation is out of control.

The royal family’s latest PR disaster stems from a growing trend within the UK establishment – both among the royal family and senior politicians – to maintain tight control over their public images.

Speculation over the photo is an uncomfortable reminder of the fraught relationship between the press and the family, raising concerns over the trust between the two.

Kensington Palace had announced that Catherine was undergoing abdominal surgery in January, without providing details other than that it was not cancer-related. The palace had also asked the press not to intrude on the princess’s privacy during her recovery, stating she would not be able to undertake public duties until after Easter.

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However, in a digital world where the public is increasingly suspicious about the provenance of images – AI-generated images such as the “Balenciaga pope” and the “arrest” of Donald Trump went viral last year – taking ownership comes with risks. Let’s face it, even what’s in the mainstream press might not be believed much longer.

Omid Scobie, a royal correspondent and unofficial biographer of the Sussexes, said on Monday that if the edited picture was an isolated incident, it would just be an unfortunate error.

“But with the palace’s long history of lying, covering up, and even issuing statements on behalf of family members without their permission (cc: Prince Harry), it’s becoming increasingly difficult for the public to believe a word (and now photo) they share,” he posted on social media. “Gaining that back at this point is an almost impossible task.”

It seems an unthinkable own goal. The two most popular royals in Britain could now be in a position where they’ve risked the bond between their public and the institution. These were the pair who were supposed to be “in touch”.

Some have called for the unedited image to be released. It’s not even clear that would be enough.

The palace has its work cut out from here.