The Princess of Wales reportedly wanted to own up to her Mother's Day photo mistake, believing in the principle of honesty as the "best policy." In a surprising move, Kate Middleton admitted on Monday that she "edited" the photo showing her celebrating Mothering Sunday with her children.
However, according to a palace insider speaking to The Telegraph, the princess felt "awful" about the manipulated photo, and she had attempted to enhance the photo to the "best it could be." A friend of Kate also told the Mirror that she would be "upset" by the controversy stirred by what was initially meant to be an "innocent family photograph" on Mother's Day.
Kate Wanted to be Honest
This comes after the princess's rare personal message on Twitter, where she said that she "occasionally experimented" as an "amateur photographer."
She apologized for any "confusion" the photograph may have caused after six global picture agencies sensationally removed the image from their wires and libraries amid concerns that "the source has manipulated the image."
"Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing," the princess wrote. "I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused."
The removal notices issued by the agencies added to the controversy, fueling a myriad of conspiracy theories surrounding Kate's health.
Various questions arose, ranging from the mismatch between Princess Charlotte's wrist and her cardigan sleeve to Prince Louis' unusual fingers.
The photograph, taken by Prince William at the family home in Windsor on Friday, was the first released since Kate's abdominal surgery in January.
While the couple typically shares something personal to mark Mother's Day, it was expected that the photo might address social media speculation about the princess's condition.
Unfortunately, the royal blunder only fueled another round of public conspiracy theories.
Damage Control
Royal sources stated that the princess had made "minor adjustments" to the photo, which she and her husband had hoped, the Daily Mail reported. One source told the outlet, "The princess made minor adjustments, as she shared in her statement on social media. The Wales family spent Mother's Day together and had a wonderful day."
The Mirror reported that a royal insider said: "It is a bad day at the office for the palace and something which will no doubt be reflected on in future."
Meanwhile, Kensington Palace announced that it would not release the unedited version of the photograph featuring Kate and her children, sparking further debate.
The Palace is currently under increasing pressure due to the controversy, with claims that it has eroded public trust.
The dispute overshadowed yesterday's Coronation Day service at Westminster Abbey, led by Queen Camilla for the first time, accompanied by Prince William, as the King was absent for cancer treatment. His
Majesty recorded a video message for the occasion.
On the same day, Kate was seen in the back seat of a car with her husband as he left Windsor for two public engagements in London. It is believed that she was on her way to a "private appointment" and did not join William publicly.
