Some users accused the royal family of sharing an AI-generated image of Kate Middleton.
British Princess Kate Middleton’s first official photo released after abdominal surgery has sparked controversy. Several news organizations have dropped photos of the princess and her three children, saying they were found to have been doctored.
Kensington Palace released the photo on Sunday to mark Mother’s Day in the UK.
The smiling Princess of Wales, wearing jeans, a sweater and a dark jacket, sits on a garden chair. Her three children, George, Charlotte and Louis, appear with her in the photo. She was not wearing her engagement ring in the photo, which has become a point of discussion on social media.
Thank you for your well wishes and continued support over the past two months.
Happy Mother’s Day to everyone. C
📸 Prince of Wales, 2024 pic.twitter.com/6DywGBpLLQ
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) March 10, 2024
Buckingham Palace said the photo was taken by her husband, Prince William, heir to the British throne, at Windsor, where Kate has been recovering since being discharged from hospital.
The photo was accompanied by a message: “Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the past two months. Happy Mother’s Day to everyone.” It was signed “C” for Catherine.
News organization retracts photo
Three major news organizations – the Associated Press, AFP and Reuters – retracted the photo this morning, citing alleged manipulation. But PA, Britain’s largest news agency, which the royal family uses to issue official announcements, has not yet taken any such measures.
“It is understood that a handout of Kate and the children published by Kensington Palace today has been altered and has therefore been withdrawn from AFP systems,” AFP said in a note to clients.
Kensington Palace declined to comment on the news organization’s retraction of the photo, the BBC reported.
Some users accused the royal family of sharing the AI-generated image of the princess, noting that it was the first time she had been clicked without her engagement ring.
“If the photo of #princessofwales was taken last week as the palace claims…why didn’t the correspondent make sure she had an engagement ring on her finger? Like, you know people would be paying attention to that. Yes, allegedly PW. “Took the photo, but come on,” one user said.
An early example of Royal Rota’s domestic captain illustrates this point #CatherinePrincess of Wales Photo crashes may be masked:
We actually do have reason to doubt its authenticity because KP doesn’t give us much reason to trust them. pic.twitter.com/yqoqsFlZNf
— Meredith (@TheMereDish) March 11, 2024
“Something is rotten in the state of…” William Shakespeare.
Toxic RF is reposting an AI-generated Mother’s Day photo with twisted hands, missing sleeves, and engagement and wedding rings edited out — but it’s too late. #princessofwales Fake photos. pic.twitter.com/IXz10Ux4sg
— Ryn Shell (@RynShell) March 10, 2024
Another user pointed out that Princess Charlotte’s sleeve was missing a bit.
Kate’s absence from the public eye has sparked intense speculation and wild conspiracy theories. Buckingham Palace had said at the time of her surgery that she was “not likely to return to official duties until after Easter”, adding that her surgery was not related to cancer.
Her father-in-law, King Charles, was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year.
The future queen was last pictured attending a church service at Sandringham with her family in December.
She was hospitalized for abdominal surgery on January 16 and discharged on January 29. The photos shared by the palace yesterday were the first official family photos released since then. Before that, she was seen driving last Monday. Several British media outlets, including the Daily Mail and The Sun, chose not to publish the photos.
