Kate Middleton apologises for confusion caused by retouched portrait with children

On Sunday 10 March, 2024, Prince William shared what was supposed to be a reassuring gift for all of Kate Middleton's fans. However, it has backfired quite quickly.

While the portrait of Kate Middleton surrounded by her children George, Charlotte and Louis exudes happiness and joy in times where her health is a concern, some people did not want to believe the image. Some internet users were concerned to see neither Prince William's wife's wedding ring nor engagement ring, and others zoomed in on the details, noticing that Prince Louis was missing a finger - just like on the happy family's greetings card released in 2023. But it was other details that caught the attention of several international news agencies.

Kate Middleton's chin and neck touched up?

Just hours after the photo was published on the accounts of the Prince and Princess of Wales, they delivered a 'kill notice' and unpublished the photo. The Associated Press reports:

Further investigation revealed that the source had manipulated the image in a way that did not comply with AP's photo standards.

It was the crudely blurred sleeve of Charlotte's waistcoat that tipped them off. The way her hair is positioned over her shoulder is also intriguing observers, according to the Mirror.

As for Kate Middleton, part of her hair is also out of focus and her coat fastening is not aligned. Some claim that her chin and neck have been altered. As for Louis, apart from his shorter or missing finger, it's his trousers that are slightly out of place. And finally, since no one has been spared, the length of George's forearm raises questions. As do the warped windows in the background and the colour of the trees in the garden, which suggest that the photo was not taken recently.

Kate Middleton apologises on X

As the controversy grew, Kate Middleton herself apologised on X (formerly Twitter), admitting that she had retouched the portrait. 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. I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother’s Day. C

This is the first time she has spoken out since her surgery.

This article has been translated from Voici.

Read more:

⋙ Kate Middleton: The Ministry of Defence makes blunder about her presence at Trooping the Colour parade

⋙ Kate Middleton's uncle Gary Goldsmith recalls the first time he met Prince William: 'Very normal'

⋙ Kate Middleton spotted in public for the first time since surgery with mum Carole

Sources used:

Mirror: Kate Middleton photo - everything we know so far about edited image as picture agencies pull it