Major news agencies on Sunday yanked the first official photo of Kate Middleton to be shared by Kensington Palace since she underwent abdominal surgery about two months ago.
After initially distributing the photo, the Associated Press on Sunday issued a “kill order” axing the pic of the royal with her three kids, stating: “At closer inspection it appears that the source has manipulated the image. No replacement photo will be sent.”
There was “an inconsistency in the alignment of Princess Charlotte’s left hand,” the AP notice read.
Reuters and PA Media, the biggest news agency in the U.K., made similar editorial decisions. Kensington Palace declined to comment to BBC News.
The photo fiasco came amid growing questions about Middleton’s condition during her lengthy absence from the limelight.
The pic showed the Princess of Wales surrounded by Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5.
Prince William took the photo earlier this week in Windsor, Kenginston Palace claimed. It was the first official shot taken by him, according to People magazine, which noted that it’s typically Middleton behind the lens for family pictures.
“Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months,” she said on the couple’s Instagram page. “Wishing everyone a Happy Mother’s Day.”
Middleton’s condition was previously said to be non-cancerous and she is still within the recovery timeline laid out by the palace, but conspiracy theories have abounded.
On Sunday, observers noticed that her left hand looked disconnected from her body and her wedding and engagement rings couldn’t be seen in the new photo.
“We are deleting a post containing an image of the Princess of Wales following a post-publication review,” Reuters explained on X.
Agence France-Presse also took the photo down, saying it was due to “an editorial issue,” according to CNN.
With News Wire Services
