The Princess of Wales has issued a rare apology for sharing a photo on British Mother’s Day after it was issued with an even rarer “kill notice” by press agencies such as Reuters after closer inspection revealed some very suspect Photoshopping.
The photo, purportedly showing Kate, flanked by Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte, with Prince George standing behind, paints an idyllic British countryside scene. It was posted on Sunday. The caption read “Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months. Wishing everyone a Happy Mother’s Day.” It was signed “C” for Catherine.
But just hours later, photo and press agencies including Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, Getty and Reuters issued a “kill notice” to media around the world and removed it from their photo libraries.
Reuters picture editors said part of the sleeve of Kate’s daughter’s cardigan did not line up properly, suggesting that the image had been altered. It also added that it could not “immediately establish how, why or by whom the alteration had been made.”
The Reuters Handbook of Journalism states, for instance, that the editing tool Photoshop can only be used in very limited matters. “We use only a tiny part of its potential capability to format our pictures, crop and size them and balance the tone and colour.”
Kate then took the unusual step of issuing an apology.
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. C
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) March 11, 2024
There has been huge consternation around the photo and the whereabouts and welfare of Kate. She was taken to hospital in January for abdominal surgery and remained in the London Clinic, the UK’s largest private hospital, for nearly a fortnight. Earlier today, she was seen leaving Windsor alongside Prince William but has not made any public appearances since her surgery.
Jacqueline Magnay, The Australian’s Europe Correspondent, wrote that “the palace said the photo was taken by William last week, but even that was questionable given the green tree shown in the background. England is still in hibernation from the winter.
“One of the main giveaways is that the light source reflected in the eyes of the children is different to Catherine’s. There is also unexplained softness in parts of the photo especially round Catherine’s hair on the left hand side of the photo. One glaring error is that part of Princess Charlotte’s sleeve and wrist is missing and not aligned. Her skirt is also weirdly jutting out on the left hand side.”
Users on X have even suggested that Kate’s face in the picture was lifted from an editorial she featured in with Vogue.
You guys…that Kate Middleton photo is from her Vogue cover. Look at this face out I made. It’s the exact. same. photo.#WhereIsKate #KateMiddleton pic.twitter.com/gyfbwutQyF
— Angry Lawyer Lady (@AngryLawyerLady) March 11, 2024
All told, it’s another case of supposed Photoshopping causing far more strife than really had been necessary. If only the palace had learnt from Nine.
Find out more: “Any Changes Would Have Required Human Intervention”: Adobe Fires Back At Nine’s AI Claim Over Georgie Purcell Photoshopping
