The Princess of Wales Kate Middleton has been in the limelight recently for her abdominal surgery and her disappearance from the public eye that followed. The royal family member went completely off the public eye for a while, sparking a number of conspiracy theories about her highly secret illness.
However, the Princess is seemingly recuperating well as her official social media handles posted a family picture on the eve of International Women’s Day on March 8. Fans and agencies alike were quick to point out discrepancies in the photo, claiming that it had been photoshopped. However, the Princess herself has now come forward with a clarification over all the buzz.
Related: Prince William Clears The Air Over Conspiracy Theories Surrounding Kate Middleton’s Health
Kate Middleton Issues Clarification Amid Controversy Over Edited Mother’s Day Photograph
She took to X/Twitter to address the confusion surrounding a Mother’s Day photo that went viral. The image, posted by The Prince and Princess of Wales‘ social media accounts (@KensingtonRoyal) on Instagram and Twitter, featured Kate with her children George, Charlotte, and Louis. It marked Kate’s first official appearance since undergoing abdominal surgery.
The caption read, “Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months. Wishing everyone a Happy Mother’s Day. C.” While the image was initially shared by Kensington Palace and various global picture agencies, it was later removed from some sources due to apparent editing inconsistencies.
Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months.
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) March 10, 2024
Wishing everyone a Happy Mother's Day. C
📸 The Prince of Wales, 2024 pic.twitter.com/6DywGBpLLQ
Reportedly taken by Prince William, the photo sparked attention on social media as users identified around 20 discrepancies, including the absence of Kate’s wedding ring, alignment issues with Charlotte’s wrist, Louis’ twisted fingers, discrepancies in background flooring, and irregular patterns. After the observations emerged, the image remained on The Prince and Princess of Wales’ X/Twitter and Instagram accounts.
Addressing the concerns now, Kate posted a message on X/Twitter. “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,” she wrote.
In case you missed it: Royal Resurgence: Kate Middleton Spotted For The First Time In Months, Her Changed Look Goes Viral
“This Is Just Bizarre”: Social Media Reacts To Kate Middleton’s Apparent Official Statement
Social media users gave a mixed reaction to Kate’s clarification, with some suggesting it is not the Princess of Wales herself that has posted this.
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
“I am struggling to believe that the most famous royal family in the world – and the woman who would be queen – fiddled around with photoshop and put out a family pic (designed to quash rumours about her whereabouts) without anyone in the ranks inspecting it. Nah. Not buying it,” one user wrote.
“The palace just threw her right under the bus huh? Zero chance this is true,” another user wrote. “It’s sad that they have made you take the fall for this. This is just bizarre,” another one chimed in.
“If this is true, why not talk to AP, Reuters, Getty when they called you and told you they would kill the story? You had an opportunity then to say you edited it? Really bad PR advice or needed time to come up with a good answer???” another one asked.
Some netizens believed the message to be true and empathized with Kate Middleton. “The picture was and is beautiful. Thank you for sharing it and I hope in future, you’ll continue to share pictures of your sweet family. Wishing you peace and continued healing during your recovery from surgery. Best wishes always,” one user wrote.
“You don’t need to apologize to the press who was just bullying you, but we appreciate you being the adult here. Rest well,” another one wrote.
You might also like to read:
