It was meant to be a happy royal photo, celebrating Mother's Day in the UK but instead has become another unwanted controversy for the UK's Royal Family. Kate Middleton, officially known as the Princess of Wales, has apologized a day after the release of the picture of her and her three children, taken by Prince William.
The portrait was the first official picture of Kate since her abdominal surgery back in January and was released in an effort to quell speculation about why she has not been seen in public since.
This photo was shared by major news agencies until some withdrew it citing concerns over it's authenticity./Prince of Wales/Kensington Palace
Image withdrawn
Wire services like AP, AFP, Reuters, and Getty Images widely distributed the image, but later retracted it, citing manipulation concerns. The New York Times and The Washington Post took down the photo from their outlets, while AP sent out a 'kill notice' advising its clients not to use the image, saying the picture didn't meet its photographic standards.
Observers noted inconsistencies, with the area around the young Princess Charlotte's hand drawing the most scrutiny, particularly noting the misalignment of her left hand and the sleeve of her sweater.
The image fueled online speculation about Princess Kate's condition and health.
READ MORE
'One in five entrepreneurs may leave the Netherlands' - poll
Royal apology
The Princess of Wales has now apologized for the confusion, saying she was responsible for the changes, and the inconsistencies were down to her self-proclaimed poor Photoshop skills and nothing more.
In a social media post, she said: "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."
Will this statement draw a line under this royal mistake?
Subscribe to Storyboard: A weekly newsletter bringing you the best of CGTN every Friday