KATE MIDDLETON, PRINCESS of Wales, has personally apologised for confusion over a family photograph issued by Kensington Palace saying: “Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing.”
The photo was posted on social media yesterday to mark Mother’s Day.
However Reuters, AFP and and AP all separately removed the image from their services yesterday and instructed client news agencies to remove the image from their publications.
The kill notification issued by AP stated that the concerns stem from evidence that the “source has manipulated the image”.
Today, Middleton addressed the issue on social media.
“I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused,” she wrote on X, formerly Twitter, adding, ” I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother’s Day”.
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
Since Middleton tweeted out the statement this morning, she has been photographed by the press in a car with her husband this afternoon.
Just before the publication of her apology, the Press Association news agency (PA) said it was withdrawing the image of the the Princess and her children from its picture service.
PA’s announcement followed similar ones made by photo services around the world.
A spokesperson for the UK-based agency said: “Like other news agencies, PA Media issued the handout image provided by Kensington Palace of the Princess of Wales and her children in good faith yesterday.”
Kensington Palace has told news agencies that it will not be issuing the original unedited photograph.
Public relations and crisis consultant Mark Borkowski said that Kate’s statement about editing the photo is “plausible”.
He said that she could be at home “playing with the computer”, and “using an AI tool”.
However, he added that if the royal family is going to regain the trust of the British public, they should release the original photograph.
“I find they have risen to the challenge, provided the statement as an explanation – the question is with all the conspiracy theories running around, is whether people believe it and I’m not sure that they will,” he said.
Borkowski added that there does not seem to be much “joined up” thinking at the heart of the royal family and the organisation structured around them at the moment, which leads to problems that are “difficult to manage” in terms of public relations.
One section of the image in particular has been cited as the main indicator that the image has been manipulated.
The sleeve of one of the children in the photo, Charlotte, appears transparent on closer inspection, indicating the image has been altered from its original.
PA said: “We became aware of concerns about the image and we carried a report about it last night, and made clear that we were seeking urgent clarification about the image from Kensington Palace. In the absence of that clarification, we are killing the image from our picture service.”
Kensington Palace has since said it will not be reissuing the unedited photograph.
Last week the princess was photographed while travelling in a car with her mother after weeks of rumours about her whereabouts in the wake of surgery in January.
Speculation about her condition remains rife despite the official assurances that Middleton is recovering well, with rumours focusing not just on the 42-year-old’s health, but also the status of her marriage.
The photo of the princess was the first released since she was admitted to the London Clinic – the private hospital where King Charles underwent treatment for an enlarged prostate – for a planned operation on 16 January.
Middleton left the hospital on 29 January – almost two weeks later – and returned to Adelaide Cottage in Windsor.
Details of Middleton’s condition have not been revealed but Kensington Palace previously said it was not cancer-related and that she wished her personal medical information to remain private.
She was last pictured in public during a Christmas Day walk in Sandringham, Norfolk.
She is not expected to return to official duties until after Easter.
- Contains reporting from Press Association.
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