Kate Middleton Issues Apology For Her Edited Mother’s Day Photo

Kate Middleton has apologized for “any confusion” caused by her Mother’s Day photograph, which was shared by Kensington Palace on March 11. The photo, which quickly made the rounds online, showed the Princess of Wales posing with her three children, accompanied by the caption, “Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months.”

It wasn’t long before eagle-eyed social media users drew attention to several inconsistencies in it, which suggested it had been digitally altered.

The photo was later removed from circulation by the Associated Press. “At closer inspection it appears that the source has manipulated the image,” the AP said in a statement. “No replacement photo will be sent.”

Soon after, the Princess of Wales issued a statement addressing the issue: “Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing,” she wrote. “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 “C” implies it was written by her.)

If A Picture’s Worth A Thousand Words...

The royal photograph was likely intended to quell doubts about Middleton’s health.

In January 2024, Buckingham Palace announced that she had undergone abdominal surgery and wouldn’t be returning to public duties “until after Easter.” Regardless, her absence sparked speculation and conspiracies.

On Feb. 29, a spokesperson for the Princess of Wales addressed the rumors, sharing that Middleton was “doing well.” The statement continued, “We were very clear from the outset that the Princess of Wales was out until after Easter and Kensington Palace would only be providing updates when something was significant.”

The Mother’s Day photo wasn’t the first since her surgery. On March 5, TMZ published an unofficial paparazzi snap of Middleton, the first time she’d been photographed since Christmas Day.