Princess Kate says sorry for manipulated family photo

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LONDON (AP) — Kate, the Princess of Wales, apologized Monday for “confusion” caused by her editing of a family photo released by the palace — a photo of her with her children that was intended to calm concern and speculation about the princess’s health, but had the opposite effect.

Five major news agencies, including The Associated Press, withdrew the image over concerns about digital manipulation.

That sent the online rumor mill, already filled with speculation over Kate’s recent surgery and recuperation, into overdrive.

Britain's Kate, the Princess of Wales, Patron of The Forward Trust visits HMP High Down in Sutton, England, Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2023, to learn about how the charity is supporting those in the criminal justice system to manage and recover from their addictions. British officials said Tuesday March 5, 2024 that Kate will attend a Trooping the Color ceremony in June. It is her first confirmed major official duty since the royal underwent abdominal surgery. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, Pool, File)

In a post on social media, Kate said that “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,” the post said.

The palace said the photo was taken by Prince William. Issued by Kensington Palace on Sunday to mark Mother’s Day in Britain, it was the first official photo of Kate since her abdominal surgery nearly two months ago.

“Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months,” Kate said on social media. “Wishing everyone a Happy Mother’s Day.”

WHAT HAPPENED?

The photo appeared on social media channels for the Prince and Princess of Wales at 9 a.m. along with a message from Kate wishing everyone a happy Mothers’ Day, which was celebrated Sunday in the United Kingdom.

The release of the photo followed weeks of gossip on social media about what had happened to Kate since she left a hospital Jan. 29 after a nearly two-week stay following planned surgery. She hadn’t been seen publicly since Christmas Day.

The photo showed a healthy looking Kate seated in a chair surrounded by her smiling three children. It was credited to her husband, Prince William, heir to the throne, and was said to have been taken earlier in the week in Windsor.

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“Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months,” she said.

The story quickly became a top news story in Britain and the photo had almost 50 million views on the X social media platform by the end of the day.

But close study of the image revealed inconsistencies that suggested it had been altered, for instance in the alignment of Princess Charlotte’s left hand with the sleeve of her sweater.

By early evening, AP and other news agencies, including Getty, Reuters and AFP, decided to remove the image after examining it more closely.

WHY DID THE AP ‘KILL’ THE IMAGE?

AP’s editorial standards state that images must be accurate. AP does not use altered or digitally manipulated images.

AP’s news values and principles explain that minor photo editing, including cropping and toning and color adjustments, are acceptable when necessary for clear and accurate reproduction and should maintain the authentic nature of the photograph.

Changes in density, contrast, color and saturation levels that substantially alter the original scene are not acceptable. Backgrounds should not be digitally blurred or eliminated by burning down or by aggressive toning. The removal of “red eye” from photographs is not permissible.

When AP determined the photo appeared to have been manipulated, it issued what is known as a “photo kill,” an industry term that retracted the image and instructed clients to remove the photo from their systems.

“At closer inspection it appears that the source has manipulated the image,” the AP said in its advisory. “No replacement photo will be sent.”

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