Kate Middleton Apologises, Says She Edited Mother's Day Pic

Catherine, Princess of Wales, on Monday apologised over an altered official photo that saw news agencies, including AFP, pull the image from their systems.

"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", the Prince and Princess of Wales posted on X.

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

— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) March 11, 2024

The photo, issued to mark Mother's Day in Britain, shows the smiling Princess of Wales sitting on a garden chair, dressed in jeans, a sweater and a dark jacket, surrounded by her three laughing children, George, Charlotte and Louis. But close examination shows that Princess Charlotte's left hand is misaligned with the sleeve of her cardigan, casting doubt on the authenticity of the image.

Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months.

Wishing everyone a Happy Mother's Day. C

? The Prince of Wales, 2024 pic.twitter.com/6DywGBpLLQ

— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) March 10, 2024

After publishing the photo provided by the palace, the Associated Press, Reuters and AFP decided to withdraw it. 

"It has come to light that this handout photo... had been altered and therefore it was withdrawn from AFP systems," the agency said in a note to clients.