Princess Catherine apologises for altering family portrait

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Catherine, Princess of Wales has apologised for altering a Mother’s Day family portrait as international news agencies withdrew the photograph from circulation after discovering signs of digital manipulation.

The picture, which shows the Princess of Wales in a family setting with her three children, was the first to be released since she underwent abdominal surgery in January.

The photograph was issued by Kensington Palace after weeks of speculation over her recovery, which has been fuelled by a prolonged absence from the public eye.

But rather than quashing speculation the image has had the opposite effect, sparking a fresh round of gossip on social media. In the photo parts of Princess Charlotte’s sweater sleeve appeared to be missing, alongside other discrepancies.

“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,” the Princess of Wales posted on X on Monday.

A number of the world’s largest picture agencies, including PA, Agence France-Presse, Getty, Reuters and Associated Press withdrew the image, issuing a so-called “kill” notice, telling their clients not to publish the picture.

News agencies have a commitment to ensure the accuracy of photos they release. Reuters said it withdrew the “handout” photo following a post-publication review. PA stated it had removed it “in the absence of clarification from Kensington Palace on the veracity of the image”.

Meanwhile, the Associated Press said “at closer inspection it appears that the source has manipulated the image”.

According to AP’s policy, “images…