- Multiple photo agencies have removed new portraits of Kate, citing editorial concerns.
- The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse issued death notices to news organizations over the photo.
- The photos fueled conspiracy theories about Mr Middleton's whereabouts.
Photo agencies have warned that the latest portraits of Duchess Kate and her children may have been digitally altered.
The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse all issued press kill notices regarding the photo, released by Kensington Palace on Sunday, and said they would no longer distribute the image.
“The source appears to have manipulated the image,” the Associated Press wrote. AFP cited “editorial issues” and Reuters said the photo was withdrawn after a “post-publication review”.
The image of Duchess Kate and her children, Prince George, Prince Louis, and Princess Charlotte, is It was shared on social media by Kensington Palace and photographed by Prince William, the BBC reported. It was Middleton's last public appearance since Christmas, and this is her first official photo released.
Since then, the princess has kept a low profile, appearing only once in a paparazzi photo published by TMZ in March.
The only significant update was on January 17, when the Palace announced that she was scheduled for abdominal surgery. Kensington Palace also made the announcement on January 29th. Middleton returned to Windsor Castle and left a record disputing claims that he had been in a coma.
The mystery surrounding her months-long disappearance has sparked conspiracy theories about Middleton's whereabouts and health, but this latest photo does little to quell those theories.
After the photo was released, social media was abuzz with detectives questioning whether the photo had been Photoshopped or generated by AI. Many people focused on the cuffs of Princess Charlotte's pink cardigan, but they appear to have disappeared in the photo.
An Associated Press spokesperson pointed Business Insider to an article in the paper in which reporters explain why they believe the photo has been manipulated, saying, “The photo shows discrepancies in the position of Princess Charlotte's left hand. ''The Associated Press reported.
Other users pointed out that Middleton was not wearing a wedding ring.
“There's no ring, all the kids have their fingers crossed, there's a weird blur on Charlotte's cuff, and the leaves are falling even though Mach time is fast. I'm sorry, but they're not ours at this point. I’m just asking for full Katespiracy,” one user said. I wrote it to X.
Reuters and AFP did not respond to requests for comment from Business Insider. Kensington Palace did not immediately respond to questions from BI. The company has not made public the allegations that the photo has been altered.
