11 March 2024 , 06:31
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Social media detectives have pointed to four alleged signs that the Princess of Wales's Mother's Day photo was edited.
Kensington Palace refused to comment after some of the world's largest news photography agencies issued "kill notices" over fears the image had been "manipulated". Royal sources say the palace is under "increasing pressure" to explain the apparent oddities.
Now members of the public have studied the image more closely and spotted four alleged discrepancies.
The new family photo featuring Kate, 42, and her three kids - posted on the royal social media accounts to mark Mother's Day - is the first official image of Kate since undergoing abdominal surgery in January.
Perceptive viewers identified several "errors" in the picture, ranging from the positioning of Prince Louis' hands to mismatched lines and clothing patterns. Other "editing faults" include Kate's missing wedding band, Charlotte's half-missing sleeve and blurred skirt and Kate's misplaced zip.
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Perceptive viewers identified a plethora of unsettling details in the picture, including a mismatched zip on Kate's jacket (PA)
The sudden stop of Charlotte's hair on her shoulder seemed to be faulty (PA)The image, shot by the Prince of Wales, is still live on the official royal social media platforms, and the Palace has not yet responded to criticism leveled against it.
As for the image, picture agencies AFP, Getty, Reuters, and AP removed it last night, claiming that it might have been altered digitally. Social media users were quick to point out that Princess Charlotte's knee was "blurry," and the wrist and sleeve of her jumper looked to have been artificially manipulated.
The corner of Charlotte's skirt, the heel of her right boot, and the sudden stop of her hair on her shoulder all seemed to be faulty, according to viewers. Other commonly mentioned "editing fails" included Kate's left hand's missing wedding ring, her other hand, the way her hair appeared "blurred," and the way her jacket's zipper didn't line up. One even said she had Photoshopped her neck and chin.
Multiple news agencies pulled the photo from their sites - an alleged error includes the fading of Charlotte's sleeve into the background (PA)
Prince George's finger length was also peculiar, some viewers claimed (PA)Louis appears to be making an unusual action with his fingers, making one of his fingers appear shorter than the others in the picture. Social media sleuths added that his pants appeared to have been digitally altered.
Social media users have also drawn attention to Prince George's forearm length, the paving and window panes behind the family, and the fact that the late-autumn foliage on the trees contradicts the assertion that the shot was taken recently.
The apparent photo-editing mistakes, in the absence of an official statement from the palace, fueled rumors concerning Kate Middleton's whereabouts.
Peter Hunt, a royal commentator, remarked: "This is bad for the royals. They knew there would be a lot of attention in any pictures they released of Kate. Their concern is that people will now wonder if they can be trusted and believed when they provide the next health report."
This comes as AP sent an alert requesting that the image be "killed" from their system, stating: "At closer inspection, it appears that the source has modified the image."