News Outlets Pull Kate Middleton’s Mother’s Day Photo
Kensington Palace’s assertions that Kate Middleton is chill and fine aren’t being received quite as it would like. First, people started meme-ing her disappearance from public life. Then she was photographed in a car, which also got meme’d to hell. Now, the Princess of Wales’s Mother’s Day portrait has been pulled from major news outlets due to blatant Photoshopping. In response, the social-media account for the Prince and Princess of Wales put out a statement, purportedly from Kate herself. “Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing,” she (apparently) said. “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.” Notably, this does not include a direct statement that the picture is real. Instead, it is two separate statements, one about photography in general and one an apology that does not clarify why the photo was edited.
According to Deadline, the Associated Press, Getty Images, Reuters, and AFP have all pulled the picture from their libraries because they’re concerned it has been manipulated. AP sent out a kill notification that claimed “the source,” meaning Kensington Palace, had manipulated the image. Social-media users pointed out the evidence of Photoshopping — which included blurred spots, sharp lines, weird hands on the kids, and something going on with Princess Charlotte’s sleeve. Not exactly the kind of thing that’s gonna stop the meme in its tracks.
not really kept up with this whole conspiracy theory, but this photo is SOO DODGY
— marc (@feelingsplain) March 10, 2024
two of their hands look very weird as if they're AI generated, and the girls arm has 100% been photoshopped and her skirt also looks weird as fuck as well? https://t.co/wB20kb0L6P pic.twitter.com/EeXHhmEtM5
I’ve never been much of a conspiracy theorist but if @AP @AFP @Reuters & other picture agencies are concerned enough to remove it and ask clients to delete it, there are serious questions for Kensington Palace - which was the source of the photo.
— Chris Ship (@chrisshipitv) March 10, 2024
These appears to be the issues ???? https://t.co/ifcSB9mUzu pic.twitter.com/bH5gN9fJtJ
Kensington Palace has released the first official photo of Kate Middleton since her abdominal surgery. pic.twitter.com/rX1aIUZ8iT
— Nonna Charts Brazil (@MonopolyPhonic) March 10, 2024
the royal family social media manager thinking they did a good job on the Kate Middleton photo editspic.twitter.com/kxjItUTSbG
— T (@teewatterss) March 10, 2024
the royal family: “happy mothers day to Kate Middleton”
— T (@teewatterss) March 10, 2024
the internet:pic.twitter.com/kuB8YRws5n
Kensington Palace trying to stop the Kate Middleton conspiracy theories https://t.co/94wRW5tERH pic.twitter.com/Eg8OSSYTl1
— Matt Jones (@MattJSport) March 10, 2024
This post has been updated throughout.
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