Kate Middleton’s “bad job of photoshopping” Mother’s Day photo: Princess of Wales apologizes

The Princess of Wales has apologized for editing a newly released Mothers Day photograph that is now known to have been photoshopped.

The image features Kate Middleton, wife of next-in-line Prince William, with the couple’s three children. It was released by Kensington Palace and initially shared by a number of major photo agencies, who later pulled the image after it emerged that the picture had been edited.

The Palace has since confirmed that the image was photoshopped. The incident has only fuelled speculation regarding the Princess’ health; she underwent surgery in January and has barely been seen in public this year.

Image analysts spoken to by the BBC suggest that the editing could be the result of a less-than-perfect photoshopping attempt. They suggest that the image could have been tweaked to ensure that all three children were smiling at the same time.

There is nothing to suggest that Kate Middleton was not present for the photograph. Furthermore it does not seem like the image was generated by artificial intelligence.

What did Kate Middleton say about the photoshopped picture?

Earlier this year the Princess of Wales underwent abdominal surgery and has not been present for Royal engagements in 2024. She had not been seen in public until last week, when she was photographed in a car alongside her mother.

The Palace has reiterated that ongoing updates into her condition will not be given as she continues her recovery. However a spokesman has confirmed that she is “doing well” but unlikely to return to public duties before Easter.

In the aftermath of the photoshop controversy, the Princess released a statement explaining 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,” she wrote in a statement. “I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother’s Day.”