Royal photo was altered…by Kate

A photo released by the royal family which was meant to quell speculation surrounding the Princess of Wales’ health has had the entirely opposite effect.

Since the princess underwent abdominal surgery she has not officially been seen in public, leading worldwide media to speculate that all might not be well.

A recent photograph to mark Mother’s Day was released on Sunday, March 10, the accompanying message read: ‘Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months. Wishing everyone a Happy Mother’s Day. C.’

However, far from dispelling any rumours, the photo simply added to the confusion, following claims that the image had been doctored.

Mounting pressures and withdrawals

The release of the portrait raised alarms among the world’s premier photo agencies who retracted the photograph amid doubts over its genuineness

The UK’s national news outlet, the Press Association, sought ‘urgent clarification about the image from Kensington Palace,’ following suit with news agencies around the world.

‘In the absence of that clarification, we are killing the image from our picture service,’ a PA spokesperson stated, making them the sixth organisation to take such action.

Digital alterations admitted

A statement issued on Monday, March 11, from the Princess herself shed light on the situation: ‘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.’

The photograph, captured by Prince William last week in Windsor, marks Kate’s first public appearance in a picture since her ‘planned abdominal surgery’ in January.

Public reaction

The admission met with a mixed response: ‘I am struggling to believe that the most famous royal family in the world – and the woman who would be queen – fiddled around with photoshop and put out a family pic (designed to quash rumours about her whereabouts) without anyone in the ranks inspecting it. Nah. Not buying it.’

Another posted: ‘No apology [needed]. Every picture has some type of editing, and these people are out for a witch hunt. You focus on healing, and the media can seriously go away. Please don’t provide them with any more pictures of your children. Post it just on your social media pages.’

Finally one person commented: ‘This has been blown out of all proportion, a complete non story made huge by the usual suspects.’

As the royal family navigates this digital dilemma, the fallout from the edited photo serves as a poignant reminder of the scrutiny public figures face in the age of digital media.