Three of the world's biggest news agencies have removed an official Mother's Day photograph of Kate, Princess of Wales, and her three children from circulation after concerns were raised about image manipulation.
Kensington Palace shared the image on Sunday, marking the first official photo of the princess since she underwent abdominal surgery almost two months ago. The exact nature of her treatment has not been shared.
Speculation on social media has been rampant, with the public wondering why Kate had not made public appearances since December and expressed concern about her health.
In a highly unusual move for an official royal photograph, several news agencies removed it due to concerns about manipulation.
(Prince of Wales/Kensington Palace/PA Wire)
However, efforts to quell the gossip may have failed after royal observers noticed inconsistencies in the details of the photo.
Associated Press (AP), Reuters, Getty Images and Agence France-Presse (AFP) removed the photograph from circulation. Kensington Palace has declined to comment.
What was wrong with the image?
The image appeared on William and Kate's social media channels at 9am, and was shared with a Mother's Day message from Kate. It is a photograph of the princess and her three children – George, Charlotte and Louis – attributed to Prince William.
“Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the past two months,” he said.
At first glance, the photograph may appear completely normal, however, social media users were quick to point out some key signs that the image may have been altered or photoshopped.
The most striking thing is Princess Charlotte's left sleeve, which seems to partially dissolve into nothing. Kate's right hand also appears to be unusually blurry, while a wall near Louis' leg appears to go offline.
Several issues have been spotted with Kate's Mother's Day that have raised concerns of manipulation.
(Kensington Palace / Pennsylvania)
By early afternoon, many news agencies decided to remove the image after closer examination.
What did the news agencies say?
AP
The AP issued an immediate 'takedown notice' for the image, notifying that it was being removed from its service.
“Upon closer inspection it appears that the source has manipulated the image,” the AP said in its advisory. “No replacement photos will be sent.”
The news agency later clarified its position: “AP editorial standards state that images must be accurate. AP does not use altered or digitally manipulated images.”
Reuters
Reuters confirmed that they had removed the image following a post-publication review. “We are reviewing the matter,” a spokesman said.
The agency later shared a press release clarifying its position: “Reuters image editors said part of the sleeve of Kate's daughter's cardigan was not aligned correctly, suggesting the image had been altered.”
“Reuters could not immediately establish how, why or who made the alteration.”
AFP
“It has come to light that the brochure issued today by Kensington Palace about Kate and the children had been altered,” the French news agency wrote in a note to clients, “and was therefore removed from the agency's systems.” AFP”.
