By Anna Pham, Carlos Ruiz, Melina Saad and Raya Torres
March 13, 2024
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – The Princess of Wales is trending on the internet again, but this time, it’s not for a good reason.
After months of speculation regarding Kate Middleton’s whereabouts, a Mother’s Day photo was released by Kensington Palace, featuring the princess and her three children.
Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton, is posing with her children (L-R) Prince Louis, Prince George, Princess Charlotte. Princess Kate later revealed that she edited the the photo after social media users noticed inconsistencies in the image. Courtesy: Kensington Palace
Though the photograph may have alleviated worries of the public who were concerned about the princess’ welfare following her abdominal surgery, social media users quickly pointed out inconsistencies in the image, suggesting that the image was edited.
WATCH: Kate Middleton Caught Editing Photo
Middleton released a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter, where she stated, “Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing.” Due to the controversy and confusion, she issued an apology, a rare move by anyone in the royal family.
The photograph featured Middleton seated in a chair, surrounded by her three children and future heirs to the British throne. Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis are on either side of her, and Prince George, the next in line to the throne after Prince William, had his arms wrapped around his mother.
Following the princess’ abdominal surgery earlier this year, Middleton has been absent from her royal engagements. The controversial image was the first official photo of the Princess of Wales since her hiatus from the public eye.
With the photo’s release, the princess posted a statement on her official account on X, writing, “Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months. Wishing everyone a Happy Mother’s Day. C.”
Tweet uploaded to X by Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton, following the upload of the Mother’s Day image. Courtesy: X, formerly known as Twitter.
The image was distributed by Kensington Palace to image and news outlets around the world.
Within the first day of the upload, social media users were quick to point out inconsistencies in the photograph, including misaligned tiles, the disappearing edge of princess Charlotte’s sweater towards her left hand, and the misalignment of Kate’s zipper.
With the circulating suspicions, the photograph added fuel to the fire of conspiracies generated by online users. People further questioned the princess’ well-being and people debated the legitimacy of the photograph. Some even suggested that the photo was created through AI.
After further inspection of the photo, several news agencies confirmed it was indeed edited. News outlets around the world immediately pulled the tampered image from their articles and photo services.
The Associated Press (AP) wrote that the initially published photo issued by Kensington Palace was later removed because closer inspection confirmed that Middleton edited the photo. AP said the manipulation “did not meet AP’s photo standards” and sent a “kill notification” to clients who used the image.
The United Kingdom’s national news agency, PA Media, withdrew the photo from their picture service. The agency initially posted the photo on their social media and stated they sought “urgent clarification” from Kensington Palace. When the palace did not comment, they removed the image.
LISTEN: Podcast: How much Photoshop Can You Do Before You Change the Image?
In early January, people on social media and news commentators began questioning why Prince William and Princess Kate had not been seen in public since Christmas Day the year prior. Social media rumors swirled online, suggesting that the royal couple were headed towards divorce.
On January 17, Kensington Palace released a statement stating that the princess had undergone a “planned abdominal surgery” the day prior and she was recovering at home. Buckingham Palace subsequently announced that King Charles would later undergo a procedure the next week for an enlarged prostate. The palace said that the condition was non-cancerous.
Over the next two months, the palace did not comment nor respond to any public speculations with regards to Middleton’s health, citing that Middleton was “well” but they would not contribute to any “running commentary.”
Per Kensington Palace, the princess will take a break from her royal duties until “after Easter” this cute.
