Photo and news agencies have pulled a recently released photo of Kate Middleton from Kensington Palace due to suspicions of manipulation. The composed return of Kate Middleton on social media, following her reported abdominal surgery in January, has led royal observers to speculate whether the newly released photo of the post-op Princess is really real.
Some have labeled the timely post as a form of "damage control," while many believe that the Sunday photo of Kate and her three children has been digitally "manipulated." This has led multiple news and photo agencies, including Reuters, the Associated Press, Getty, and AFP, to pull the Mother's Day photo released by Kensington Palace.
Manipulated Photo
"Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months," the photo's caption read, referring to concern around to suspicions around Middleton's whereabouts. "Wishing everyone a Happy Mother's Day," they wrote of the British holiday.
A "kill notification" reportedly released by AP reads, "At closer inspection, it appears that the source has manipulated the image." Sources told The Mirror on Sunday that photo agencies suspect that the photo, captured by Prince William, featuring Middleton, Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5, has been digitally manipulated from its original form.
Social media sleuths noted anomalies such as the apparent absence of part of Charlotte's arm, Middleton not wearing her wedding ring, and the perceived elongation of her arms to encircle Charlotte and Louis.
Many are demanding the photo be removed from picture libraries for 'editorial' reasons.
Despite the photo being officially released by Kensington Palace and its unquestionable authenticity, it is unlikely to quell the unfounded online conspiracy theories circulating about the princess.
A representative from the PA news agency said that the photo had not been removed from its service, but they were actively seeking immediate clarification from Kensington Palace regarding the raised concerns about potential manipulation.
Reuters said that the picture was being taken out of circulation, citing a "post-publication review."
The news industry is currently grappling with significant concerns about the potential manipulation of photographs using AI technology. However, it remains uncertain whether such manipulation occurred in this particular case.
Backlash from Royal Watchers
Certain royal watchers noted potential digital alterations in the photo, specifically highlighting concerns about Princess Charlotte's wrist and jumper sleeve. Also, scrutiny extended to perceived issues with Charlotte's boot heel and anomalies in the background paving behind the family.
One frequently identified 'photoshop fail' was Kate Middleton's missing wedding ring on her left hand and the blurring of her right hand, as highlighted in posts on X.
Eagle-eyed members of the public noted various discrepancies, such as Prince Louis' hands, clothing patterns not aligning correctly, and lines that seemed off. In the photo, one of Louis' fingers appeared shorter than the others, contributing to the scrutiny due to an unusual gesture of crossing his fingers.
Other observations made by social media users included concerns about the length of Prince George's arms, the apparent disconnection between Princess Charlotte's jumper sleeve and hand, "blurry" hair, and discrepancies in the depiction of late-autumn leaves on the trees, matching up with the claim the photo is recent.
Others said that Charlotte's skirt appears misaligned where it meets her jumper, and suspicions regarding digital alterations in Louis' trousers.
Some posts alleged that George has two rows of bottom teeth, while others circled issues like the zipper on Kate's jacket not lining up.
Additional points of contention involved discrepancies in the window panes in the background, Charlotte's hair seemingly ending abruptly on her shoulder, and suggestions of potential Photoshop manipulation around Kate's chin.
The evident editing discrepancies in the photograph have further fueled conspiracy theories circulating about Kate's whereabouts.
This incident comes after the Wales family Christmas card was criticized for a 'Photoshop fail' involving one of Louis' seemingly missing fingers. Sources then claimed it was merely bent back.
Kensington Palace seemed caught off guard by the developments and chose not to comment.
Despite the intention of quelling online speculation surrounding the princess, the release of the photo appears to have had the opposite effect, intensifying the fervor of online and social media discussions.
Kate remains out of the public eye as she continues to recover from a scheduled abdominal surgery that took place in January.
