On Monday morning, the Princess of Wales spoke out to apologise "for any confusion" caused by her Mother's Day photo.
The image was subjected to a 'kill notice' by four major picture agencies over claims it had been "manipulated". And Kate confirmed she had 'experimented with editing' when she reviewed the snap before it was released on social media.
While some fans have questioned why the Princess decided to tweak the image in the first place, the answer is likely very simple.
It is normally keen photographer Kate who takes all the family pictures shared with the public - and not her husband Prince William. The Palace previously confirmed it was the father-of-three behind the lens when the picture was taken in Windsor last week, which might explain why the couple felt it needed some editing.
The Princess is widely praised for her skills behind the camera. Her snapshots have included birthday images of her children, George, Charlotte and Louis, a touching photo showing the late Queen with her grandchildren and great grandchildren, and Prince George in a carriage with Prince Philip.
Kate Middleton swears by £19.99 rosehip oil that helps 'reduce wrinkles & scars'Arthur Edwards, who has photographed the royal family since the 1970s, previously shared that he's a "great admirer" of Kate's snapshots. "Her pictures are beautifully composed, they're beautifully lit, and she's just got the best subject in the world, of course. But she delivers," he said.
"I'm a kind of fan of her now — a fan of not just photography, but the way she's totally just made that role so brilliant."
In a statement shared on X, formerly Twitter, on Monday morning, the Princess apologised over the image. She said: "Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing.
"I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused. I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother’s Day. C"
The photo shows the royal sitting down, surrounded by Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis and Prince George, with the latter wrapping his arms around her.
It was the first official photo of the Princess of Wales since her abdominal surgery two months ago. Since then she has stayed out of the public eye.
The image was posted on William and Kate's social media accounts with a message from the Princess which read: "Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months. Wishing everyone a Happy Mother's Day."
It comes after Kensington Palace took the unusual step of issuing a statement last week following increasing speculation about Kate's health.
It read: "We were really clear from the start we weren’t going to provide a running commentary on the Princess of Wales’s health and only provide significant updates. Obviously, we’ve seen the madness of social media and that is not going to change our strategy. There has been much on social media but the Princess has a right to privacy and asks the public to respect that."