Photo from palace was doctored, say agencies
Princess of Wales’s Mothering Sunday image of family recalled over editing fears
A PHOTOGRAPH released by Kensington Palace, showing the Princess of Wales with her children, was last night recalled by four of the world’s biggest picture agencies over fears it had been “manipulated”.
The image, taken by the Prince of Wales in Windsor earlier this week, showed the Princess looking happy and healthy after her surgery, and is the first authorised picture of her since Christmas.
Released on Mother’s Day, it was hoped that it would quell speculation and conspiracy theories about the Princess’ health and whereabouts.
Instead, it was last night recalled by agencies Getty, the Associated Press, Agence France-presse and Reuters, which put out a “kill notice” to halt their distribution of the picture.
“At closer inspection, it appears that the source has manipulated the image,” the AP notice said.
A spokesman told The Telegraph: “The photo shows an inconsistency in the alignment of Princess Charlotte’s left hand.”
The agencies have a policy of not distributing photographs that have been overly edited. Kensington Palace declined to comment.
There is no suggestion that the picture misrepresents the Princess or her children, or that she is not in as good health as she appears.
It had been intended, in part, to reassure the public about her health, after she has spent weeks at home recovering from a major abdominal operation.
The photograph yesterday raised further questions on social media, with critics claiming that Princess Charlotte’s sleeve and wrist appeared to be partially missing. Some social media users had already pointed out that the Princess was not wearing her wedding ring, while others made mention of Prince Louis having his fingers crossed and questioned a tree in the background which had some leaves in mid-march.
The photograph was released via social media by Kensington Palace, alongside a short Mother’s Day message.
“Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months,” the Princess said in a written caption.
“Wishing everyone a Happy Mother’s Day.” The message was signed “C” for Catherine.
‘Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support. Wishing everyone a Happy Mother’s Day’
It is the first time the Princess has appeared in an authorised photograph since Christmas Day and her first message since Jan 17, when the palace asked for privacy and specified that she would be out of the public eye until at least Easter.
The Princess, looking healthy and happy, is dressed in jeans and smiles for the camera, with her arms around Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
Prince George, her eldest, stands behind her with his arms around her neck in a hug. The children are seen roaring with laughter, in an image taken by their father Prince William in Windsor earlier this week.
It was something of a role reversal for the couple, who have made a tradition of releasing images taken by the
Princess, who is a keen amateur photographer.
The picture, part of the family’s annual tradition of posting a message for Mother’s Day, was intended in part to answer growing questions from the public about the Princess’ wellbeing.
Kensington Palace has always reiterated that she has been “doing well” following major abdominal surgery in January, recuperating slowly at home in Adelaide Cottage with her young family.
Nevertheless, after 76 days out of the public eye she has been the subject of some of the most extraordinary conspiracy theories in modern royal history, with growing conversation on social media about her whereabouts.
The Mother’s Day post was hailed by royal watchers as the Princess sharing information on her own terms, continuing the tone the Waleses have set between their public and private lives.
Within hours, however, social media users began commenting on a so-called “Photoshop fail”.
The Prince of Wales has previously spoken out about the problem of “fake news”, and in 2018 accused social media firms of not doing enough to halt it.
It is thought to be the first time the agencies have publicly recalled an official photograph from the palace.
Kensington Palace has previously been accused of “Photoshop fails” by critics on social media, including over their Christmas card which appeared to leave Prince Louis without a middle finger. Until now, no such accusations have led to professional photography agencies raising questions about a
Kensington Palace-issued image. The growing use of AI has prompted agencies to update their policies so that manipulated images are not distributed.
It is the latest drama for the family which has been beset by challenges this year, with the King being diagnosed with cancer, the Princess having surgery, and the Prince of Wales stepping back from engagements to care for her. The explanation that the Prince missed a memorial for his godfather for a “personal” matter only encouraged speculation.