The Princess of Wales has been seen very rarely since undergoing abdominal surgery in January
Kate Middleton apologizes for royal photo confusion
Princess Kate Middleton issued an apology after a Mother’s Day family photo sparked viral confusion.
A photograph taken by Kate Middleton of the late Queen Elizabeth II surrounded by 10 of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren in Balmoral was manipulated, a photo agency says.
The photo was released by Kensington Palace on what would have been Queen Elizabeth's 97th birthday in April 2023. The monarch died in September 2022.
A Getty Images spokesperson told Fox News Digital on Tuesday, "Getty Images is undertaking a review of handout images and in accordance with its editorial policy is placing an editor’s note on images where the source has suggested they could be digitally enhanced."
KATE MIDDLETON APOLOGIES FOR 'CONFUSION' AROUND EDITED FAMILY PHOTO
A photograph taken of the late Queen Elizabeth, right, by the Princess of Wales has been deemed manipulated by Getty Images. (Phil Noble - WPA Pool/Getty Images)
Getty Images added an editors' note to its website, cautioning clients that the image was "digitally enhanced at source."
"There's no comment from Kensington Palace," a representative told Fox News Digital regarding the situation.
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The Telegraph documented a litany of potential problems with the picture, highlighting a pattern discrepancy in Queen Elizabeth's skirt and repetition of Mia Tindall's hair.
The allegations of manipulation come just two weeks following the palace's initial photo scandal, involving a photograph shared by Catherine on Mother's Day.
After undergoing abdominal surgery in January, speculation surrounding the princess's whereabouts and overall health began to mount. Catherine broke her silence on Mar. 10, sharing a family photo with her three children that ultimately raised more questions.
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AP News issued a "photo kill" notice on a picture of Kate Middleton and her children she released to the public. (AP News)
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Several news agencies said that the photograph had been manipulated and issued a "kill" on the picture. The Princess of Wales issued an apology, admitting to editing the photograph.
"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," she wrote in part on X.
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
Following Middleton's admission, Instagram put an "altered photo" label on the post for the account's 15.2 million followers.
"Independent fact-checkers say the photo or image has been edited in a way that could mislead people, but not because it was shown out of context," the warning read.
The Prince and Princess of Wales have remained tight-lipped about Catherine's surgery. (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
On Saturday, the Princess of Wales was spotted looking jovial on a visit to a local farm with husband Prince William, just a mile from their Adelaide Cottage residence, where Catherine is recovering.
Caroline Thayer is an entertainment writer for Fox News Digital. Follow Caroline Thayer on Twitter at @carolinejthayer. Story tips can be sent to
