Global media agencies ‘kill’ Princess Kate images over concerns it was doctored

Some of the world’s biggest photo agencies have made the extraordinary move to kill a Kensington Palace issued image of Kate over concerns it had been doctored.

Some of the world’s largest photo agencies have made an extraordinary move to delete the first image of the Princess of Wales with her three children after her surgery over concerns the image has been “manipulated.”

The image is of Kate sitting down and surrounded by her children, Princess Charlotte, Prince George and Prince Louis, and says on social media it was taken by the Prince of Wales and was released by Kensington Palace on Mother’s Day in the UK, on Sunday, March 10.

Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months.

Wishing everyone a Happy Mother's Day. C

📸 The Prince of Wales, 2024 pic.twitter.com/6DywGBpLLQ

— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) March 10, 2024

Under the image it read: “Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months,” read a message accompanying the photo on X. “Wishing everyone a Happy Mother’s Day,” said the message, which was signed “C” for Catherine.

But hours after the image was released photo agencies including Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, Getty and Reuters made the unusual step of issuing a “kill notice” to media organisations around the world and also removing the image from their photo libraries.

In pictures: Kate, the Princess of Wales, through the years. We are deleting a post containing an image of the Princess of Wales following a post-publication review https://t.co/KNsVFdQVmGpic.twitter.com/gpX98ThhH6

— Reuters (@Reuters) March 10, 2024

The Associated Press said the reason for deleting the photo was “at closer inspection it appears that the source has manipulated the image”.

An AP spokesman further told The Telegraph: “The photo shows an inconsistency in the alignment of Princess Charlotte’s left hand.”

AFP cited an “editorial issue” as the reason for withdrawing the photo from its systems, while Getty Images did the same for “editorial reasons”.

The photo remains on the Prince and Princess of Wales’ official X and Instagram pages.

I’ve never been much of a conspiracy theorist but if @AP@AFP@Reuters & other picture agencies are concerned enough to remove it and ask clients to delete it, there are serious questions for Kensington Palace - which was the source of the photo.
These appears to be the issues 👇 https://t.co/ifcSB9mUzupic.twitter.com/bH5gN9fJtJ

— Chris Ship (@chrisshipitv) March 10, 2024

Conspiracy theories quickly started after the image was released including the Princess Charlotte was missing part of her arm in the image and also that Prince George’s right hand was not in focus.

There is no suggestion that the image of Princess Kate, 42, and her children has been manipulated, only that media agencies have claimed it has been altered.

Princess Kate has remained out of the public eye for more than two months and after she underwent abdominal surgery on January 17.

She was at the London Clinic, the UK’s largest independent private hospital, for 13 days.

On January 26 King Charles was also admitted to the London Clinic, near Regent’s Park in central London, where he received treatment for an enlarged prostate which was benign.

The pair were both discharged on the same day, January 29.

A statement from Kensington Palace pic.twitter.com/6h3BCrqj5L

— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) January 17, 2024

The image remains live on the official social media accounts for the Prince and Princess of Wales including on Instagram and X and has attracted thousands of comments including some questioning if it's a recent photo.

Princess Kate was also not wearing her wedding ring in the photo which was also fuelling commentary about this online.

Kensington Palace has not commented about the matter.

Just last week the Princess of Wales was photographed for the first time since Christmas in the passenger’s seat of an Audi driven by her mother Carole Middleton, near Windsor Castle.