Princess Kate ‘reassuring’ Mother’s Day image ‘done completely opposite’, says royal biographer
The first picture of the Princess of Wales after her surgery has been pulled by major picture agencies over fears it has been manipulated.
The photo, taken by Prince William in Windsor this week, was released by the royal family to mark Mother’s Day and showed Kate Middleton smiling surrounded by her three children.
But just hours after it was posted on social media, picture agencies, including PA, the Associated Press and Reuters, issued a “kill notice” over the image and asked their clients to remove it from all platforms.
“At closer inspection, it appears that the source has manipulated the image,” AP said. “Clients please be advised that the following story has been killed and should no longer be used.”
Eagle-eyed royal fans had earlier claimed that the sleeve of Princess Charlotte’s cardigan did not line up and suggested it had suffered an editing fail.
A caption on the Instagram post, which has not been taken down, reads: “Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months. Wishing everyone a Happy Mother’s Day.”
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Questions raised over Kate photo
Questions have been raised that the first picture of the Princess of Wales to be released after her abdominal surgery may have been manipulated before it was posted on social media by Kensington Palace.
The photo of Kate, said by the palace to have been taken by the Prince of Wales in Windsor earlier this week, was posted to mark Mother’s Day and shows her sitting with her arms around Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, who are on either side of her, with Prince George standing behind.
The photograph was shared with media on Sunday but was withdrawn by international picture agencies later the same day because of concerns that the image had been manipulated. There was speculation that edits had been made to the left sleeve of Charlotte’s cardigan, and other areas of the picture also raised concerns about possible manipulation.
Confusion over the picture could fuel ridiculous online conspiracies about Kate which have been swirling on the internet since her surgery.
Kensington Palace has declined to comment.
Katy Clifton10 March 2024 23:33
Sixth major picture agency pulls Mother’s Day photo of Kate
PA has become the sixth major picture agency to pull the first official photo of the Princess of Wales since she underwent abdominal surgery.
In an advisory, it said the image is being removed “in the absence of clarification from Kensington Palace on the veracity of the image”.
Tara Cobham11 March 2024 10:20
Security minister says photos should be ‘honest’ and ‘accurate’ amid Kate picture row
But just hours after it was posted on social media, picture agencies, including the Associated Press and Reuters, issued a “kill notice” over the image and asked their clients to remove it from all platforms.
Tara Cobham11 March 2024 10:00
Kate’s uncle addresses ‘manipulated’ photo of niece: ‘Smiles on faces said it all’
The businessman, who was evicted from Celebrity Big Brother last week, dismissed concerns over the photograph.
Kate’s uncle addresses ‘manipulated’ photo of niece: ‘Smiles on faces said it all’
Kate Middleton’s uncle Gary Goldsmith has addressed concerns regarding a Mother’s Day photograph of her and her three children that was pulled from circulation by news agencies. The first official photo of the Princess of Wales since she underwent abdominal surgery nearly two months ago showed Kate, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis. The Associated Press issued a “kill notification” on the image, stating: “At closer inspection it appears that the source has manipulated the image.” The businessman, who was evicted from Celebrity Big Brother last week, dismissed concerns over the photograph.
Tara Cobham11 March 2024 09:42
Kate’s ‘reassuring’ Mother’s Day image ‘done completely opposite’, says royal biographer
The first picture of the Princess of Wales released by Kensington Palace after her abdominal surgery “was meant to reassure us, but has completely done the opposite”, royal biographer Hugo Vickers has said.
The image, taken by Prince William in Windsor this week, was released by the royal family to mark Mother’s Day (10 March) and showed Kate smiling surrounded by her three children.
Just hours after it was posted on social media, picture agencies including the Associated Press and Reuters issued a “kill notice” over the image and asked its clients to remove it from all platforms.
“At closer inspection, it appears that the source has manipulated the image,” AP said.
Sian Elvin11 March 2024 09:00
Why photo agencies pulled Kate Middleton’s mothers day photo
Tara Cobham11 March 2024 08:06
ICYMI: First photo of Kate since surgery released as princess thanks public for support
The first picture of the Princess of Wales following her abdominal surgery has been released, as she thanked the public for their support.
The photo of Kate and her children, taken by the Prince of Wales in Windsor earlier this week, was posted on social media to mark Mother’s Day.
Matt Mathers11 March 2024 07:00
ICYMI: Princess Diana’s niece has welcomed her first child with her husband Michael Lewis
Lady Kitty Spencer has announces the birth of her first child in a heartwarming Mother’s Day post.
Keeping the gender and name of the newborn secret Kitty wrote: “It’s the joy of my life to be your mummy, little one. I love you unconditionally. Happy Mother’s Day to those who celebrate today”.
Lady Katherine “Kitty” Eleanor Spencer, a niece of the late Diana, Princess of Wales, married fashion businessman Michael Lewis in 2021.
The aristocrat is the eldest child of Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer, and Victoria Lockwood. She has been a professional model since 2015, when she debuted in the December issue of Tatler.
Matt Mathers11 March 2024 06:30
What is the ‘photo kill’ notification issued by global agencies over Kate’s first picture
The first official photo of the Princess of Wales since she underwent abdominal surgery nearly two months ago has been pulled from circulation by multiple global news agencies.
The agencies, including Associated Press, Reuters and AFP, issued a kill notification because the image appeared to have been manipulated.
First, the AP issued a notification warning its clients that “at closer inspection it appears that the source has manipulated the image.”
“Photo kill” is an industry term that tells clients an image has been retracted, is no longer being provided by the photo agency and should be removed from clients’ systems.
Kill notifications can happen for various reasons. The story or image might not meet the editorial standards of the publication, it might not be timely or relevant anymore, or it might overlap with other content the outlet is planning to publish. It could also be due to changes in editorial direction or simply a decision by the editor that a piece of content isn’t suitable for publication.
In this case, it was over the fear that the image was manipulated.
Shweta Sharma11 March 2024 05:52
New images of Duke of Edinburgh with his dogs released for 60th birthday
The King has given his brother the Duke of Edinburgh the highest honour in Scotland as four new images of him are released to celebrate his 60th birthday.
Prince Edward was handed the Order of the Thistle as a personal gift from the King which did not require prime ministerial advice.
Matt Mathers11 March 2024 05:30