On Sunday, March 10th, a family photo of Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis was released in honor of Mother’s Day in the U.K.
However, the photo was pulled by news agencies and media outlets worldwide at approximately 8 pm on Sunday. According to People.com, the reason given was “concern of manipulation.”
When Kensington Palace released the photo this past weekend, they announced that Prince William had taken the picture of his wife and family at their home in Windsor during the week of March 4th.
Kate Middleton Apologized Over the Confusion
On March 11th, People.com reported that Kate had “apologized” over the “confusion” caused by the family photo.
She wrote, “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.”
This informal apology on social media happened at approximately 10:30 am UK time on Monday, and Kate ended her message with her signature initial, “C” for Catherine.
Commenters on social media, including Chris Ship, the royal reporter at Britain’s ITV, confirmed on March 10th that Kensington Palace had yet to officially “comment on the allegations surrounding the photo.”
The Photo Seemed Edited or Even AI-Generated
A TikTok creator uploaded a video alleging that Kensington Palace had refused to comment on the incident after major international agencies refused to distribute the royal photo.
People reported that many people who viewed the photo online on March 10th expressed “concerns that the image seemed edited or even AI-generated.”
In response to these concerns, Reuters, Getty Images, and the Associated Press (AP) were among the prominent agencies that deleted the image and removed it from their press libraries.
The AP issued an official alert—called a “kill notification”—for anyone who intended to use the photo of Kate and the young royals. The AP’s message to journalists and media outlets was that upon “closer inspection, it appears that the source has manipulated the image. No replacement photo will be sent.”
The Telegraph reported receiving a statement from AP that claimed, “The photo shows an inconsistency in the alignment of Princess Charlotte’s left hand.”
People alleged that other unnamed sources have “noted inconsistencies” in the sweater pattern Prince Louis wore in the photo. There is also a “jagged white line in the background” by Prince Louis’s knee that appears inconsistent.
The Photo Fuelled Theories About Kate’s Disappearance
Kate has not conducted any public engagements since January. People reported that this new photo controversy has only added to the questions surrounding her absence and her alleged requests for privacy for herself and her family.
Kensington Palace did release a statement about Kate’s “planned abdominal surgery” after it took place. Following surgery, Kate allegedly remained in a London hospital for thirteen days until January 29th, at which point she returned home to “continue her recovery.” The statement from the palace confirmed that Kate’s medical team had advised her to discontinue “public duties until after Easter.”
But as People.com reported on February 29th, Kate’s absence from royal duties had fueled “a wave of conspiracy theories.” In a startling move, Kensington Palace made “a rare statement” about her continued recovery.
People wrote that a spokesperson for “Princess Kate” issued a statement claiming they had been “very clear from the outset that the Princess of Wales was out until after Easter and Kensington Palace would only be providing updates when something was significant.”
At the time, Kate’s spokesperson said she was “doing well.”
Allegedly, Kate is recuperating at Adelaide Cottage in Windsor, and she was spotted on March 4th for the first time in months in the front passenger seat of a car driven by her mother, Carole Middleton.
