On Monday (11th March), the Princess of Wales, Princess Catherine (Kate Middleton) apologised and accepted the responsibility for an editing error in the family photo which was quickly withdrawn by international picture agencies because of “digital manipulation”. Kate Middleton aka Princess Catherine held her amateur photo editing skills responsible for the ‘confusion’.
The post shared by the official account of the Prince and Princess of Wales read, “Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing. 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. C (sic)”
Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing. 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. C
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) March 11, 2024
Notably, the controversial photograph was allegedly taken by Kate’s husband Prince William at Windsor last week. It was released to the media through Kensington Palace to mark Mother’s Day in Britain. Conspicuously, this was the first photo of Kate Middleton to be released after her abdominal surgery two months ago. Since then, she has been out of the public eye and there were widespread rumours about her health and whereabouts.
To mark Women’s Day in the United Kingdom, the photo was released and it was soon published on the front pages of media outlets. However, after it was published, several inconsistencies were noticed in the photo.
Twitter’s community post also flagged the photo and noted, “Major news agencies, including the Associated Press, Getty Images, and Reuters, note inconsistencies that suggest digital alteration by Kensington Palace.”
Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months.
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) March 10, 2024
Wishing everyone a Happy Mother's Day. C
📸 The Prince of Wales, 2024 pic.twitter.com/6DywGBpLLQ
The first photo of Princess Catherine since her abdominal surgery depicted her smiling as she was surrounded by her three children — George, Charlotte, and Louis.
A few hours after Kensington Palace had released the photo, the Associated Press, Reuters, and Agence France-Presse issued advisories and urged news organisations to remove the image.
Experts pointed out several discrepancies including various inconsistencies, such as Charlotte’s left hand not aligning correctly with the sleeve of her cardigan and a portion of her sleeve being absent. Additionally, the eight-year-old princess’s hair ended abruptly at her shoulder, while Kate’s zipper appeared lighter compared to other areas.
Though the Royal family and the officials at the palace had hoped that the first photo of Princess Catherine would be reassuring amid growing online speculation and conspiracy theories over her condition and her health, the Royal family ended up being dismayed as the strategy backfired and it only fuelled rumours.
Following the incident, Kensington Palace has come under intense pressure as the controversy is seen as a bid “damaging” the public’s trust in the royal family.
In the wake of these growing speculations, Princess Catherine has come out, through the social media account, to apologise for the editing error.
