A photograph of the late Queen surrounded by her grandchildren at Balmoral was “digitally enhanced at source”, according to Getty Images.
The picture agency added an editor’s note to the picture which had been released by Kensington Palace in April 2023 to mark what would have been Queen Elizabeth II’s 97th birthday.
Issued on April 21, the palace said it had been taken by Kate, the Princess of Wales, at Balmoral in Scotland the previous summer.
A spokesperson for the picture agency said: “Getty Images can confirm that in accordance with its editorial policy it has placed an editor’s note on a handout image stating the image has been digitally enhanced at source.”
Today would have been Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth’s 97th birthday.
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) April 21, 2023
This photograph – showing her with some of her grandchildren and great grandchildren – was taken at Balmoral last summer.
📸 The Princess pic.twitter.com/1FOU4Ne5DX
What has been changed in the photo?
“You can see a couple of small, clear signs of editing techniques that are commonly employed to adjust the composition of a photograph,” Max Joss STV News graphic designer said.
“It’s not clear if anyone has been digitally inserted or erased, just moved around a little bit to be closer to the Queen and improve the balance of the shot.”
Kensington PalaceStIt comes after picture agencies issued “kill notice” for a photo taken by Kate released by Kensington Palace to mark Mother’s Day saying it had been “manipulated”.
The Princess of Wales later admitted she had edited the picture of her and apologised “for any confusion”.
The photo of Kate with her three children sparked more conspiracy theories rather than quelling them.
Kate’s absence from public life, following abdominal surgery on January 16, has led to wild speculation on social media about her whereabouts and health.
At the weekend, the Princess was filmed smiling alongside her husband during a visit to a farm shop in Windsor.
Her recovery from surgery appears to have progressed after footage obtained by The Sun showed her and William at the local business on Saturday.
In the video the princess can be seen with her hair down, wearing a black jacket and leggings, chatting with William and carrying a large white bag.
The Windsor Farm Shop is a short drive from their Adelaide Cottage home in the grounds of Windsor Castle.
People flock to the shop, which was the idea of the late Duke of Edinburgh, to buy locally sourced goods and produce from the royal estates.
It was reported at the weekend that Kate may speak about her health during public engagements which are not expected to resume until after Easter.
The Sunday Times reported a source as saying: “They are at their most open when out interacting with members of the public and I can see a world in which the princess might discuss her recovery out on engagements. If she was going to do it, that’s how she would do it.”
William and Kate’s children attend Lambrook School in Berkshire, which will start its summer term on April 17. Kate is expected to resume official engagements after this date.
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