FILE PHOTO: Reuters, the Associated Press, AFP, and Getty Images have retracted an official photo featuring the Princess of Wales and her three children amidst concerns that the photo was digitally altered.
| Photo Credit: AP

Reuters, the Associated Press, AFP, and Getty Images have retracted an official photo featuring the Princess of Wales and her three children amidst concerns that the photo was digitally altered.

Released by the official @KensingtonRoyal X (formerly Twitter) handle on Sunday for Mother’s Day, the photo showed a smiling Princess Catherine “Kate” Middleton embracing her daughter, Princess Charlotte, and her youngest son, Prince Louis. Her eldest son, Prince George, hugs her from behind. 

A crop showing the official photo of the Princess of Wales and her children that may have been digitally altered.
| Photo Credit:
@KensingtonRoyal on X

However, users pointed to what they claimed were digital distortions around Charlotte’s hand and sleeve. Zooming into the princess’s left sleeve and wrist shows a section that looks as though it has been erased.

Soon afterwards, news outlets began to pull the image or said they were contacting the palace for clarification.

It is not yet confirmed to what extent the photo was digitally altered, and whether or not this was achieved with generative AI tools, as some social media users claimed.

“Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months. Wishing everyone a Happy Mother’s Day. C,” stated the photo caption, referencing Middleton’s previously announced abdominal surgery in January and her recovery from the same.

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The photo was credited to the Prince of Wales.

A lack of official statements and photos indicating Middleton’s post-operation recovery fuelled global speculation and wild rumours on social media, with many users expressing concerns about the princess’s health or her relationship with the palace authorities.

X also added a Community Note under the official photograph, citing BBC, and said that the photo “is believed to be digitally altered” and that multiple outlets had pulled it.