White House says it 'doesn't alter images' in response to Kate Middleton photo

13 March 2024 , 10:40

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The White House has responded to the controversy (Image: No credit)

The White House has spoken out about the Kate Middleton photo controversy, saying altering images "is not something that we do here."

The Princess of Wales was called out for altering an image of her with her children on Mother's Day that circulated last week. At a White House press meeting on Tuesday, the incident was brought up when Karine Jean-Pierre, a White House spokesperson, was asked if they ever change photos of Joe Biden or other big names.

"Has the White House ever digitally altered photos of the president?" one reporter asked. Jean-Pierre answered: "Digitally altered? I would say no. Why would we digitally alter photos?"

Karine questioned why the topic was brought up, continuing: "Are you comparing us to what's going on in the UK? What does the monarchy have to do anything with us? No, that is not something that we do here."

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The photo in question (INSTAGRAM)

Later, another journalist asked: "Does the president have any thoughts on the controversy surrounding Kate Middleton? Is it something that he's been following? Do you know if he's worried about it?" Jean-Pierre simply said she and the White House "offer her a speedy recovery" and that she can't say more than that.

The trouble started when the Princess of Wales shared a snap of her and her three kids on Mother's Day, which was Sunday. She was seen sitting on a porch chair, with little Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis around her.

The photo, shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, came with the words: "Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months. Wishing everyone a Happy Mother's Day." It was supposedly taken by her husband, Prince William, and ended with a big "C" for Catherine.

Kate shared the picture after a prolonged time away from the public eye following abdominal surgery but eagle-eyed critics spotted apparent evidence it had been photoshopped.

Biden's team has said they don't alter photos (AFP via Getty Images)

Then she surprised everyone by saying the Mother's Day photo with her kids had been altered. She posted on the official X, formerly Twitter, account for the Prince and Princess of Wales: "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."

She signed it with her own "C" signature. Several photo agencies like The Associated Press (AP), Reuters, Agence France-Presse (AFP) and Getty Images all sent out "kill notices" for the image, which tell news places around the world not to use the photo anymore. f

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have spoken up about the photo mistake. A person close to them said they wouldn't make the same Photoshop errors she did.

After Kate's surgery on January 16, there's been a lot of talk about her health. Kensington Palace made a statement about the "madness of social media" because of all the wild stories and guesses about what really happened to Kate. She hadn't been seen for many weeks.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre speaks with members of the media during the daily press briefing (Getty Images)

Royal staff haven't said much about how she is doing. The edited photo was the first time she had said anything publically since her operation.

It was already known that she would be off work for at least two weeks after being in hospital for her surgery. Then she would rest at home until Easter, which is March 31 this year.

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The Princess of Wales will have to miss the annual Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey, one of the biggest events in the Royal calendar, due to her recovery period. King Charles will also be absent from the event as he is undergoing cancer treatments.

However, other working royals are expected to attend, according to reports.

This year's theme for the service is said to be resilience, reflecting not only on the health challenges faced by the royals over the past year but also the struggles of UK citizens.

Jeremiah Hassel