The Princess of Wales has broken her silence to apologise “for any confusion” over the “manipulated” photograph issued by the Royals on Mother’s Day.
The first photo of Kate since her abdominal surgeries has been removed by news agencies because of widespread claims it had been photoshopped.
On Monday morning, in a statement issued by Kensington Palace, Kate said she had “experimented” with editing.
“Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing,” she said.
Kensington Palace“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.”
The statement was signed off C for Catherine.
Royal sources said the Princess of Wales made “minor adjustments” and that Kate and the Prince of Wales wanted to offer an informal picture of the family together for Mother’s Day.
“The Wales family spent Mother’s Day together and had a wonderful day,” the source added.
Kensington Palace said it would not be reissuing the original unedited photograph of Kate and her children.
The image of Kate and her children, said by the palace to have been taken by the Prince of Wales, was posted on social media on Sunday.
Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing. 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 Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) March 11, 2024
The photograph was shared with media but it was withdrawn by international picture agencies later the same day because of concerns that the image had been manipulated.
Without an official response from the palace, the confusion around the image fuelled online conspiracy theories about Kate which have swirled on the internet since her abdominal surgery.
The picture shows Kate sitting in a chair with her arms around Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, who are on either side of her, with Prince George standing behind, as all four smile at the camera.
Kensington PalaceBut there was speculation that edits had been made to the left sleeve of Princess Charlotte’s cardigan, and other areas of the picture also raised concerns about possible manipulation.
In the social media post, Kate thanked the public “for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months”.
The photo of the princess is the first released since she was admitted to the London Clinic, the private hospital where the King underwent treatment for an enlarged prostate, for a planned operation on January 16.
Kate left the hospital on January 29, almost two weeks later, and returned to Adelaide Cottage in Windsor.
Details of the princess’s condition have not been disclosed but Kensington Palace previously said it was not cancer-related and that Kate wished her personal medical information to remain private.
The 42-year-old future queen was last pictured in public during a Christmas Day walk in Sandringham, Norfolk.
Kate is not expected to return to official duties until after Easter, and William, 41, temporarily stepped back from his royal role to juggle caring for her and their children as she recovered.
He returned to royal duties in February and is expected to carry out an engagement linked to his Earthshot environmental prize on Monday, as well as accompanying the Queen at events to mark Commonwealth Day.
Earlier this month the Army was forced into an embarrassing about-turn after suggesting Kate would attend Trooping the Colour on June 8.
Tickets were being sold for the event, with Kate expected to attend in her role as Colonel of the Irish Guards, the regiment which is trooping its colour this year.
However, it is understood the Army did not seek approval from Kensington Palace before publishing the page, and the website was subsequently updated to remove the reference to her.
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