The Princess of Wales has issued a public apology and said she was responsible for digitally editing a Mother’s Day family photograph released to the media but withdrawn by international picture agencies over suspicions it had been “manipulated”.
The photo of Catherine and her three children, taken by the Prince of Wales last week and the first of the princess since she underwent abdominal surgery in January, caused widespread speculation on social media, with the incident used to raise questions over public trust in the royal family.
Released at a time when conspiracy theories over her illness and absence flooded social media, it sought to reassure the public of her recovery but was backfired spectacularly, fueling claims it could be faked.
With the debacle threatening to overshadow the king’s Commonwealth Day message, the princess released a brief statement on social media, which said: “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.”
Five international picture agencies that initially distributed the image