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Even a royal can accidentally botch a photo. Princess Kate admitted in a new public statement that she tried “editing” her recent Mother’s Day family photo that was previously shared to Instagram earlier this weekend. The original post was a snapshot of Kate, 42, with her and Prince William‘s children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
“Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing,” Kate wrote via X and her Instagram Stories. “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.”
Hours earlier, social media users pondered over the authenticity of the sweet family photo because of an apparent misalignment with Princess Charlotte’s hand in addition to other noticeable mistakes. Many people even speculated that the image was AI-generated.
“The same people who bashed Megan Markle for breathing in air are the same people saying ‘who cares’ after their Kate Middleton posted an AI-generated picture in an official photo release to the public,” one X user tweeted on Sunday, March 10, adding, “There was no need to deceive the public. She didn’t have to post anything.”
Others chimed in with the same argument. One asked, “So, who else thinks this Kate Middleton with her kids photo is put together by AI?” while a separate user tweeted, “Who else thinks the whole photo of Kate Middleton released by Kensington Palace was AI-generated?”
The concerns became widespread enough for multiple agencies and news outlets — including the Associated Press — to remove the picture from their websites. Per PEOPLE, the AP issued a “kill notification” for any site that used the photo, warning journalists that upon “closer inspection, it appears that the source has manipulated the image. No replacement photo will be sent.”
Despite the online drama, a source told the outlet that Kate’s photo flub truly consisted of “minor adjustments” to the “amateur, family photograph taken by the Prince of Wales.” The royal pair’s only intention was “to offer an informal picture of the family together for Mother’s Day. The family spent Mother’s Day together and had a wonderful day.”
Kate’s Photoshop ordeal comes two months after she was hospitalized for a “planned abdominal” surgery. Although Kensington Palace has insisted that the royal is doing well and will resume her public duties by April, fans are concerned about her well being.