Princess Kate Returns to Royal Duty — But It Quickly Turns into a PR Nightmare (No, It's Not Her Hair)
After seven weeks away from the royal spotlight, the Prince and Princess of Wales returned to public duties with an engagement at London’s Natural History Museum. The visit was intended to highlight Princess Kate’s patronage, showcase the museum’s newly transformed gardens, and support its conservation efforts. The couple also met schoolchildren from Lewisham, who were taking part in a pond-dipping session in the gardens.
Then came the rain. Cameras captured Kate holding a large black umbrella as it poured down, while the children nearby stood uncovered. William remained dry as well. The image understandbly went viral online, dubbed 'umbrella-gate.' Critics said the photo sent the wrong signal. Comparisons with Princess Diana surfaced almost immediately, with some pointing out that the late royal often braved the elements to be close to the public. A commenter slammed, “Completely out of touch. The natural human instinct is to shield a child. That was missing here.”
Others suggested Kate’s concern was more about appearances. A Reddit user quipped, “Guys, she can’t ruin that wig!!” Another added, “More interested in shielding her hair than the children…” For Kate, returning to the public stage after weeks away, this was indeed a PR nightmare, especially after the backlash over her new blonde hair.
However, not all agreed with the criticism. Many came to the Princess's defense, arguing the moment had been taken out of context. A royal fan wrote, “You’re taking a screenshot from a video and misrepresenting what actually happened. Show the whole video where she holds the umbrella over the kids while multiple umbrellas are brought out right behind her. In less than 30 seconds, the entire group is protected by umbrellas!”
But further footage posted by The Sun appeared to complicate matters. In it, Kate is seen keeping the umbrella to herself before hesitantly allowing the children to come under cover. Only when a teacher rushed over with raincoats were the students taken inside. Alluding to the same, a netizen noted, “She didn’t. I saw a video. Other people (no one in the royal party) are trying to get coats to them, and they’re just huddling. She didn’t seem to understand the situation, or offer her umbrella, or even try to stop it altogether. Super weird.”
However, accounts from those present gave a more sympathetic account. Beverley Brown, assistant headteacher at Kender Primary School, told HELLO! that Kate had suggested moving the children inside. “We had been waiting for the session to start, and the children were very excited. Princess Kate was in amongst us and said, ‘Let them go in,’ and ‘Let’s take them inside, it’s pouring.’”
She added, "Lots of our families live in quite crowded housing and don't have access to gardens, so to experience all of this at the Natural History Museum is very important for the children." The children were originally supposed to go 'pond dipping', searching for newts and toads at the Nature Discovery Garden; however, the heavy downpour watered down their plans.