A Telegraph source denied to BuzzFeed News that the article was withdrawn under pressure from the Palace, but the newspaper declined to comment on the matter.
Amidst scrutiny of how British press covers various members of the royal family, the Telegraph newspaper deleted a critical column about Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, on Thursday a few hours after it was posted on the website.
The story, titled “A rare faux pas for the Duchess of Cambridge? Kate criticized for co-writing a recent editorial on Early Childhood Education with U.S. First Lady Jill Biden, teacher and PhD in Education.
“Whatever the importance of the cause, it risks falling into the same trap as the Sussexes; it risked aligning itself too closely with an established political party, ”wrote author Joanna Rossiter. “It’s impossible to imagine Kate writing this kind of article with, say, Melania Trump. Her decision to do so is an unspoken endorsement of the Bidens.”
This isn’t the first time Rossiter has raised concerns about a Duchess Royal showing possible bias. In 2019, she wrote a column for the Telegraph criticizing Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, for her “unabashed support for All That Woke Up” and “aligning so closely with icons of the political left”. This story remains online.
The Kate column was widely critical through Royal observers. When its removal was noticed, speculation began on Twitter that it was done at the request of the Palace.
Pulled by the Palace? The Telegraph quickly deleted a mildly critical editorial on the Duchess of Cambridge today, just hours after it was published. The article claimed that Kate had compromised her “strict political neutrality” by writing a joint article for CNN with Dr. Jill Biden.
Twitter: @scobie
“Such an unfair review of [Kate’s] the article co-authored with Jill Biden is withdrawn, but many of the lies / racist / fanatic attacks on #MeghanMarkle are never withdrawn? ”asked activist, author and lawyer Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu in a viral tweet on removing the column. “I think this review of the Duchess of Cambridge is pure crap, but the double standard / hypocrisy runs deep. We see you.”
BuzzFeed News has reached out to The Telegraph and Rossiter for clarification on why the piece was removed and whether it would be restored. Rossiter did not respond to repeated requests for comment; a spokesperson for the Telegraph declined to comment on the case.
A Kensington Palace spokesperson also declined to comment on the case, but a Telegraph source said they had not been contacted by the palace and any suggestion that they were was “ridiculous”.
A tweet from the official Telegraph account linked to the deleted story (the Column url now redirects to website news home page) has been removed as a result of BuzzFeed News investigation.
The deletion came hours before Kate launched it most ambitious project to date: a center dedicated to the study of early childhood and advocacy work to support children and parents during the first years of life.
Today, I am proud to launch the Royal Foundation Center for Early Childhood – let’s take this golden opportunity to create a happier, more mentally healthy and more stimulating society. https://t.co/KKE6QfX99c
Twitter: @KensingtonRoyal
The Telegraph has a reputation in the UK as a right-wing media. It was also the source of the widely reported story that Meghan made Kate cry during a disagreement before her marriage to Prince Harry – that Meghan refuted in her March interview with Oprah Winfrey.
In this interview, Harry alleged that there was an “invisible contract behind closed doors” between the palace and the British media
“If you as a family member are ready to drink wine, have dinner and give full access to these reporters, then you will have a better press,” he said, adding that “l ‘institution survives “because of this symbiotic relationship between the Palace and the British media.
In May, Harry also alleged that the stories that Meghan was a bully to her staff during her time as an active member of the Royal Family were “the combined effort of the company and the media to smear her”.
The Telegraph article was not restored online at the time of publication.
