FAMILY ‘FAUX’-TO
‘Manipulated’ royal image gets recalled
A picture’s worth a thousand words — except when it’s recalled.
A Mother’s Day image of Kate Middleton and her three children released by Kensington Palace on Sunday was withdrawn by multiple photo agencies — including Reuters, The Associated Press, Getty and AFP — over fears that it has been digitally “manipulated.”
A “kill notification” released by AP reads, “At closer inspection, it appears that the source has manipulated the image.”
Sources also told The Mirror on Sunday that the photo agencies believed the photograph — which was taken by Prince William — of Middleton, Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5, has been altered from the original.
Social media sleuths were quick to point out that some of Charlotte’s arm appears to be missing; Middleton isn’t wearing her wedding ring; and her arms appear to be extra long to be able to wrap around Charlotte and Louis.
“Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months,” the photo’s caption read, referring to concerns around Middleton’s whereabouts.
“Wishing everyone a Happy Mother’s Day,” they wrote.
In the UK, the holiday is celebrated on the fourth Sunday of Lent, unlike in the US where it takes place on the second Sunday in May.
The Post has contacted Kensington Palace for comment.
The snap — which the palace had said was taken last Monday in Windsor — marked the first time Middleton had been seen since Christmas, when she and her family matched in shades of blue at a church in Norfolk.
A few weeks later on Jan. 16, Kensington Palace announced she had undergone a “planned abdominal surgery.”
The new image was released a few days after Kate was spotted in the passenger seat of a black Audi SUV while her mom, Carole Middleton, drove near Windsor Castle.
A spokesperson also noted that she was “unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter,” which falls on March 31.
Nevertheless, Middleton’s lengthy absence from the public eye led many to speculate about her whereabouts.