Princess Kate apologises over editing ‘experiment’ as media outlets issue ‘kill notice’ on Royal Family photo
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In the digital age, where images can be snapped, edited, and shared in a matter of moments, the authenticity of photographs has become a topic of intense scrutiny.
This scrutiny has recently extended to the British Royal Family, with a photograph of Princess Catherine, the Princess of Wales, and her children becoming the centre of a surprising controversy.
The image in question, which was intended to be a heartwarming capture of the Princess with her children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, was released on the official social media account of the Prince and Princess of Wales in celebration of United Kingdom’s Mother's Day.
However, the photograph's journey from a cherished family moment to a widely distributed image was abruptly halted by major photo agencies.
Associated Press (AP), AFP, Reuters, and Getty Images, cornerstone providers of stock photos for media outlets, have all issued a 'kill notice' for the photo.
This rare move indicates that the agencies have concerns about the image's integrity, specifically citing fears of 'digital manipulation’.
The agencies have taken the step to delete the image from their libraries.
According to AP, ‘When AP determined the photo appeared to have been manipulated, it issued what is known as a “photo kill,” an industry term that retracted the image and instructed clients to remove the photo from their systems.’
‘At closer inspection, it appears that the source has manipulated the image. No replacement photo will be sent.’
The official social media account of the Prince and Princess of Wales continues to display the photo, with the caption saying, ‘Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months. Wishing everyone a Happy Mother’s Day. C.’
The controversy arose when eagle-eyed observers noted an inconsistency in the alignment of Princess Charlotte's left hand, leading to speculation that the image had been digitally altered.
Social media users slammed the photo as well, saying it appeared to have been doctored.
In response, Princess Kate has apologised for ‘experimenting with editing’ of the photo in question.
‘Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing,’ she said in a statement.
‘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 photo's release was likely intended to provide an update on Princess Kate’s health and to counteract the rampant speculation about her condition circulating online.
The Princess, who appeared to be in good health in the image, had undergone abdominal surgery at the London Clinic, a private hospital where King Charles had previously been treated.
While the nature of her condition has not been disclosed, Kensington Palace assured the public that it was not cancer-related.
The Princess's hospitalisation prompted her husband, William, to temporarily step back from his royal duties to care for her and their children.
He resumed his public engagements in early February, while Princess Kate is not expected to return to official duties until after Easter.
Amid growing unease over the lack of updates about Princess Kate from Buckingham Palace, Royal Expert Rachel Hawkins said in late February: ‘We’re at [two] months since anyone has seen her… We’re not even getting [the] “I appreciate the well-wishes” statements from her.’
While she stressed that there was nothing ‘nefarious’ about the lack of updates, Hawkins did stress that there was mishandling of the princess’s case, labelling the whole affair ‘unprecedented’ and ‘very weird’.
What are your thoughts on the uploaded photo? Let us know in the comments below!
This scrutiny has recently extended to the British Royal Family, with a photograph of Princess Catherine, the Princess of Wales, and her children becoming the centre of a surprising controversy.
The image in question, which was intended to be a heartwarming capture of the Princess with her children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, was released on the official social media account of the Prince and Princess of Wales in celebration of United Kingdom’s Mother's Day.
However, the photograph's journey from a cherished family moment to a widely distributed image was abruptly halted by major photo agencies.
The photo posted by the Prince and Princess of Wales sparked controversy. Credit: @princeandprincessofwales / Instagram
Associated Press (AP), AFP, Reuters, and Getty Images, cornerstone providers of stock photos for media outlets, have all issued a 'kill notice' for the photo.
This rare move indicates that the agencies have concerns about the image's integrity, specifically citing fears of 'digital manipulation’.
The agencies have taken the step to delete the image from their libraries.
According to AP, ‘When AP determined the photo appeared to have been manipulated, it issued what is known as a “photo kill,” an industry term that retracted the image and instructed clients to remove the photo from their systems.’
‘At closer inspection, it appears that the source has manipulated the image. No replacement photo will be sent.’
The official social media account of the Prince and Princess of Wales continues to display the photo, with the caption saying, ‘Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months. Wishing everyone a Happy Mother’s Day. C.’
The controversy arose when eagle-eyed observers noted an inconsistency in the alignment of Princess Charlotte's left hand, leading to speculation that the image had been digitally altered.
Social media users slammed the photo as well, saying it appeared to have been doctored.
In response, Princess Kate has apologised for ‘experimenting with editing’ of the photo in question.
‘Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing,’ she said in a statement.
‘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 photo's release was likely intended to provide an update on Princess Kate’s health and to counteract the rampant speculation about her condition circulating online.
The Princess, who appeared to be in good health in the image, had undergone abdominal surgery at the London Clinic, a private hospital where King Charles had previously been treated.
While the nature of her condition has not been disclosed, Kensington Palace assured the public that it was not cancer-related.
The Princess's hospitalisation prompted her husband, William, to temporarily step back from his royal duties to care for her and their children.
He resumed his public engagements in early February, while Princess Kate is not expected to return to official duties until after Easter.
Amid growing unease over the lack of updates about Princess Kate from Buckingham Palace, Royal Expert Rachel Hawkins said in late February: ‘We’re at [two] months since anyone has seen her… We’re not even getting [the] “I appreciate the well-wishes” statements from her.’
While she stressed that there was nothing ‘nefarious’ about the lack of updates, Hawkins did stress that there was mishandling of the princess’s case, labelling the whole affair ‘unprecedented’ and ‘very weird’.
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washed over photoshop shit all the time get over it people bloody drama Queen's
and stand alone 
and finding mistakes everywhere …
