Major news agencies have raised concerns over the authenticity of the latest official portrait featuring Kate Middleton and her three children. The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, and Reuters have issued kill notifications to media outlets, stating they will no longer distribute the image released by Kensington Palace on Sunday.
The Associated Press cited apparent manipulation of the image as the reason for withdrawing it from circulation. Agence France-Presse referred to an “editorial issue,” while Reuters mentioned conducting a “post-publication review” that led to the photo’s withdrawal.
The portrait, taken by Prince William according to the BBC, depicts Kate Middleton posing with Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis. It marked the first official photograph released of the Princess of Wales since her last public appearance on Christmas Day.
Middleton has maintained a low profile in recent months, with only a single paparazzi photo surfacing in March, as reported by TMZ. The palace had previously announced her planned abdominal surgery in January and dismissed claims of her being in a coma.
The princess’s prolonged absence from the public eye fueled speculation and conspiracy theories, which the latest portrait failed to quell entirely. Social media users scrutinized the image, questioning whether it had been photoshopped or generated using artificial intelligence.
Specific points of contention included the seemingly disappearing cuff of Princess Charlotte’s pink cardigan and Kate Middleton’s absence of her wedding ring in the photograph. An X user also pointed out the leaves on the trees despite it being early March.
The Associated Press further noted an “inconsistency in the alignment of Princess Charlotte’s left hand” as evidence of potential manipulation.
On Monday morning, an explanation, signed “C” for Catherine, was posted on the Prince and Princess of Wales’s X account.
But does it really explain anything?
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