Agencies Withdraw Picture of Princess of Wales… Kate Apologizes
The first official picture of the Princess of Wales has been withdrawn, following her abdominal surgery about two months ago, due to concerns about manipulation of the image.
Kensington Palace published the picture on Sunday, where the princess thanked the public for their support during her Mother’s Day celebration in the United Kingdom. However, efforts to curb rumors and speculations backfired after royal observers noticed inconsistencies in the details of the image.
Later, the Princess of Wales apologized for posting the altered picture.
In a tweet on the official Twitter account of the Prince and Princess of Wales, Catherine wrote: “Like many amateur photographers, I sometimes make some adjustments. I want to apologize for any confusion caused by the family photo we shared yesterday. I hope everyone celebrating Mother’s Day is very happy. Catherine.”
The picture showed Kate enjoying good health while sitting on a chair surrounded by her three smiling children. This image was attributed to her husband Prince William, the heir to the throne, and was said to have been taken earlier in the week at Windsor.
CNN reviewed the image and contacted Kensington Palace in London, which declined to comment, while the Associated Press stated that its investigation found that the source manipulated the image.
Agence France-Presse (AFP) withdrew the image due to an “editing problem.”
The agency wrote in a statement to clients: “It has been found that the image of the Princess of Wales and her children published by Kensington Palace today has been altered and therefore has been withdrawn from AFP’s systems.”
The story of the picture quickly made headlines in Britain and garnered nearly 50 million views on the “X” platform (formerly Twitter) by the end of the day.
However, a closer examination of the image revealed discrepancies indicating that it may have been altered, such as the alignment of Princess Charlotte’s left hand with the sleeve of her sweater.
By early evening, the Associated Press and other news agencies, including Getty, Reuters, and Agence France-Presse, decided to remove the picture after closely examining it.
Why did the Associated Press “delete” the picture?
The editing standards at the Associated Press require accuracy. Digitally altered or manipulated images are not used.
The agency pointed out that changes in density, contrast, color, and saturation that significantly alter the original scene are not acceptable.
When it became apparent to the agency that the image had been manipulated, it issued what is known as a “kill order,” which means withdrawing the image and instructed clients to remove the image from their accounts.
The Associated Press warned: “Upon closer examination, it appears that the source manipulated the image. No alternative image will be sent.”
