The royal family is once again at the centre of controversy as Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, confessed to digitally editing an official royal portrait released on Monday.
The photograph in question depicted Kate alongside her three children, issued by Kensington Palace to commemorate Mother's Day on Sunday. However, keen-eyed social media users were quick to spot discrepancies in the image, leading to suspicions of manipulation.
Major news agencies, including the Associated Press and Reuters, withdrew the photo on Monday, citing concerns about digital manipulation.
Subsequently, Kate Middleton acknowledged the editing in a statement shared on Kensington Palace's social media platforms.
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In her statement, she expressed that like many amateur photographers, she occasionally experiments with editing, extending apologies for any confusion the family photograph might have caused.
But it's not the first time they've been embroiled in such controversies. In December 2023, Kensington Palace released a Christmas card photo featuring the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their children.
Observant viewers noticed that Prince Louis appeared to be missing a finger on his left hand, sparking speculation of a botched editing job.
Similarly, a portrait released by Buckingham Palace in 2020 to mark Prince Philip's 99th birthday drew attention to anomalies in the image.
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Observers noted a dark line around Queen Elizabeth II's hand, leading to speculation that her hand might have been edited in from another photo.
In 2022, a photograph taken by Kate Middleton of Queen Elizabeth II surrounded by her great-grandchildren prompted further speculation about digital manipulation.
Tech entrepreneur Christopher Bouzy suggested that parts of the image had been edited together, pointing out pixelation around the faces of some royals.
Even as far back as 2015, controversies over photo editing have plagued the royal family.
A holiday photograph released by Kensington Palace featuring Prince William, Kate, and their children prompted online debates about whether Princess Charlotte's face had been digitally altered.
