Former President Donald Trump has weighed in on the controversy surrounding a doctored photo of Kate Middleton, saying the Princess of Wales just did what many other people do and it was “no big deal.”

“It shouldn’t be a big problem because everyone sees a doctor,” the 77-year-old told British News in an interview on Tuesday.

“You look at these movie actors and you see a movie actor and you meet him and you say, ‘Is that the same person in the photo?’ I actually saw that and it was just a very minor modification. I don’t understand why there’s such a howling.”

The former US president added: “It was a difficult time and, you know, they were really after her.”

The photo, released on Mother’s Day, follows weeks of speculation about the princess’ health, with Kensington Palace announcing at the time that she was scheduled to undergo abdominal surgery in January.

The 42-year-old has not been seen in public since. The photo, which showed Kate Middleton and her three children, was posted from the royal couple’s official account, but was quickly removed by news organizations amid suspicions it had been photoshopped .

She also appeared without her wedding ring, sparking various theories that the photo was artificially generated or manipulated, fueling further speculation about her absence and rumors about the royal couple’s marital problems.

In an effort to clear up the confusion and dispel the rumors, the Princess of Wales appeared to post a statement on the official X account of the Prince and Princess of Wales regarding the doctored photo.

“Like many amateur photographers, I occasionally dabble in editing. I would like to apologize for any confusion caused by the family photos we shared yesterday. I hope everyone celebrating Mother’s Day had a very happy Mother’s Day ,” the statement read, signed “C.”

Like many amateur photographers, I occasionally try my hand at editing. I would like to apologize for any confusion caused by the family photos we shared yesterday. I hope everyone celebrating had a happy Mother’s Day. C

— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) March 11, 2024

This comes after a video purportedly showing the Princess of Wales and Prince William on an outing at the Windsor Farmers Market went viral.

Rumors also circulated about Prince William’s alleged affair with his friend Rose Hanbury, the Marchioness of Cholmondeley. But Ms Hanbury recently dismissed the accusations, saying they were “completely false”.