Princess Kate Makes Rare Personal Apology after Photoshop Mishap
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The British royal family often adheres to a policy of silence, ignoring most rumors and speculation that so frequently buzzes around them. But, when major news agencies retracted an official Kensington Palace portrait on March 10 due to allegations of source image manipulation, the unprecedented controversy essentially forced the Princess of Wales to speak out—or lose control of the narrative.
“Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing,” Princess Kate said in a rare personal statement shared to X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. “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.”
A source from Kensington Palace told Harper's Bazaar, “This was an amateur, family photograph taken by the Prince of Wales. [They] wanted to offer an informal picture of the family together for Mother’s Day.”
They add that Kate had “made minor adjustments” to the picture, and that the family as a whole had spent the holiday “together and had a wonderful day.”
There are currently no plans to release the unedited original picture.
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
The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, Getty Images, and Reuters all pulled distribution of the portrait—the first official photo we've seen of Kate since she underwent abdominal surgery in January—just hours after it was released by Kensington Palace. A kill notification released by the AP explains the decision: “At closer inspection it appears that the source has manipulated the image. No replacement photo will be sent.”
Taken by Prince William, the photo captures Princess Kate sitting amongst her three children, Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5. Innocuous enough, the photo arrived amid near-daily conspiracy theories on Kate's sudden disappearance from public-facing duties (the palace had initially announced that Kate would not return to work until after Easter, March 31, due to her recovery). People quickly zoomed into the photo for any clues as to Kate's whereabouts, pointing out inconsistencies in the children’s hands and in Charlotte's outfit.
In January, the palace released a statement explaining Kate's desire for privacy during her recuperation period.
“She hopes that the public will understand her desire to maintain as much normality for her children as possible; and her wish that her personal medical information remains private,” the statement read. “Kensington Palace will, therefore, only provide updates on Her Royal Highness’s progress when there is significant new information to share.”
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