Catherine, the Princess of Wales, issued an apology for causing “confusion” after several top news agencies on Sunday retracted a photo shared by Kensington Palace, the latest twist during a period where the princess has largely disappeared from public life in recent months.
Key facts
- In an official statement issued on social media, Kate said she occasionally experiments with editing images like “many amateur photographers.”
- She said she wanted to “express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused.”
- The Associated Press issued a “kill notice” Sunday and asked news agencies to stop circulating the photo because it “appeared the source had manipulated the image,” adding the photo “shows an inconsistency in the alignment of Princess Charlotte’s left hand.”
- Reuters also noticed the sleeve on the cardigan worn by Kate and William’s daughter “did not line up properly, suggesting that the image had been altered.”
Key background
The photo was released Sunday to celebrate Mother’s Day in the United Kingdom and was the first official portrait of Kate, the Princess of Wales since she disappeared from public view in December.
Kate was last seen at a royal engagement on Christmas Day when she attended a service at the Church of St. Mary Magdalene in Norfolk.
Weeks later, on Jan. 17, Kensington Palace announced she had been hospitalized for a planned abdominal surgery and would postpone all of her upcoming engagements while she recovered, which could take months. She returned home to Windsor to continue her recovery on Jan. 29.
A month later, on Feb. 27, William pulled out of a royal engagement for “personal reasons.” The change in schedule fueled speculations from royal watchers over Kate’s health and whereabouts, despite the palace adding Kate is continuing to do well in her recovery.
On March 4, news outlets circulated photos of Kate wearing sunglasses and riding in a car driven by her mother, and the Mother’s Day photo was released as her first official photo since Christmas on March 10.
Tangent
The palace last week seemingly cancelled a planned appearance by Kate at the Trooping the Colour army parade in June, which would have been her first royal event since the surgery.
The Ministry of Defence’s online event description originally included a scheduled stop from the princess, but references to the royal and her photo have since been removed.
The appearance had reportedly not been confirmed by Kensington Palace before the Ministry of Defence published her involvement online. Kate Middleton has attended 11 Trooping the Colour parades since 2011.
What to watch for
When Kate will return to public duties. Kensington Palace’s original statement said she was unlikely to have an official royal engagement until after Easter, on March 31 this year.
Surprising fact
This isn’t the royal’s first “photoshop fail.”
William and Kate’s 2023 Christmas card was also suspected of being altered because the middle finger of the pair’s youngest son, Prince Louis, appears to be missing and only one each of William and Kate’s feet can be spotted behind their children.
Photos released in 2020 for Prince Philip’s 99th birthday and in 2023 of Queen Elizabeth with her grandchildren at Balmoral were also criticized for potential alteration.
This article was first published on forbes.com and all figures are in USD.
