Kate photo - Everything we know about edited image as picture agencies pull it
Kensington Palace posted a sweet Mother's Day photo of Princess Kate with her kids as she continues to recuperate after surgery - but hours later picture agencies pulled the snap.
The "kill notice" was issued to media organisations across the globe by the Press Association (PA), Associated Press (AP), Reuters, Agence France-Presse (AFP) and Getty Images, and all confirmed they had pulled the image from their libraries. The snap - which was said to have been taken by Prince William - shows Kate, 42, with kids Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, eight, and Prince Louis, five.
Reports claim the agencies spiked the shot as it had been "manipulated". A notice from the Associated Press read: "At closer inspection it appears that the source has manipulated the image." Earlier in the day, eagle-eyed royal fans on social media spotted that the sleeve of Princess Charlotte's arm did not line-up. Questions were also raised over Prince George's right hand being out of focus.
Portrait photographer Martin Bamford posted the image on X, writing: "Professional photographer here. Look closely at Princess Charlotte’s wrist. This is what happens when you composite layers in Photoshop. I’m not speculating on why the photo was edited like this, but it’s weird."
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The sweet family portrait, taken by Prince William, was posted on their official social media platforms on Sunday for Mother's Day. A message, which appeared to be written and signed off by Kate herself, said: "Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months. Wishing everyone a Happy Mother's Day. C".
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It was the first time Kate had been seen in public since Christmas. The Wales family received gushing praise initially for the image, in which the Princess is seen sitting on a chair in an outdoor porch setting, with her kids surrounding her. Everyone looks happy.
Fans notice 'errors'
Soon after the photo was posted across William and Kate's social channels, people began noticing peculiar points - with the snap appearing to have been lazily edited, including 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.
The corner of Charlotte's skirt, the heel of her right boot, and the sudden stop of her hair on her shoulder also all seemed to be faulty, according to viewers. 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.
Charlotte's sleeve is one of multiple 'errors' noticed (PA)Agencies pull photo
The Associated Press (AP) Reuters, Agence France-Presse (AFP) and Getty Images all separately spiked the photo and each deleted it from their individual libraries.
A notice from the Associated Press read: "At closer inspection, it appears that the source has manipulated the image." 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."
AP also referred to an "inconsistency in the alignment of Princess Charlotte's left hand". A 'kill notification' is an industry term used to retract a photo previously handed out to publications. While AP said there was no suggestion the photo was fake, it retracted it because it said on closer inspection, the source had manipulated the image in a way that did not meet the agency's photo standards.
Palace remains silent
The apparent photo-editing mistakes, in the absence of an official statement from the palace, fuelled rumours concerning Kate's whereabouts. The Palace is under increasing pressure to explain the mistakes. This morning, the Royal Family's official X account has issued a post ignoring the backlash to celebrate Commonwealth Day.
Today is Commonwealth Day – the annual celebration of this unique and diverse organisation," it reads. "2024 marks 75 years since the founding of the modern Commonwealth." The Palace told the Mirror it does not wish to comment further on the matter.
A Palace spokesperson said previously in relation to Kate's return: “Kensington Palace made it clear in January the timelines of the princess’ recovery and we’d only be providing significant updates. That guidance stands.” They did, however, add that Kate continues to do "well".
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Experts' views
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."
Portrait photographer Martin Bamford posted the image on X, writing: "Professional photographer here. Look closely at Princess Charlotte’s wrist. This is what happens when you composite layers in Photoshop. I’m not speculating on why the photo was edited like this, but it’s weird."
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