Kate Middleton and her three children (L-R): Princes Louis, Prince George and Princess Charlotte.Photo:The Prince and Princess of Wales/Instagram

Kate Middleton Mother’s Day

The Prince and Princess of Wales/Instagram

Kate Middleton’s official Mother’s Day photo is the second image to spark speculation of editing in the last few months.

The Princess of Wales, 42,shared an apologyto social media on Monday for “any confusion” around the Mothering Sunday snap released over the weekend after multiple global photo agenciespulled the picturedue to suspicions of manipulation.

Chatter of photo editing also erupted after Princess Kate andPrince Williamshared theirChristmas cardwith their kids,Prince George, 10,Princess Charlotte, 8, andPrince Louis, 5, as social media usersspotted some oddities.

“Where’s William’s thigh? Where’s Kate’s other foot?” one user wondered onX, pointing to the way that the Prince and Princess of Wales stood. Others said it looked like Prince Louis hadsix fingers, while others argued that the little prince simply had his hand bent amidtalkabout Photoshop.

Kate Middleton, Princess Charlotte, Prince George, Prince William, Prince Louis and Mia Tindall in Sandringham on Dec. 25, 2023.Samir Hussein/WireImage

Catherine, Princess of Wales, Princess Charlotte of Wales, Prince George of Wales, Prince William, Prince of Wales, Prince Louis of Wales and Mia Tindall attend the Christmas Morning Service at Sandringham Church

Samir Hussein/WireImage

The speculation came and went, and Prince William and Princess Kate even released asecond, surprise outtakefrom their photo session with Skinner on Christmas. The photo showed Prince Louis, Princess Charlotte and Prince George sitting and smiling on a bench, as Charlotte wrapped an arm around each of her brothers.

“Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas, from our family to yours!” Prince William and Princess Kate wrote below thephotoon social media. The couple signed the note as “W & C” for the initials of their first names, signaling that the message came from them personally.

Kate Middleton and Princess Charlotte watch the Wimbledon Tennis Championships at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in July 2023.Karwai Tang/WireImage

Catherine, Princess of Wales and Princess Charlotte of Wales watch Carlos Alcaraz vs Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon 2023 men’s final on Centre Court during day fourteen of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 16, 2023

Karwai Tang/WireImage

On Monday, the Princess of Wales released anapologyaround the Mother’s Day photo published the day before. The picture was credited to Prince William and taken last week in Windsor, where the Wales family lives. The photo showed Prince Louis, Prince George and Princess Charlotte lovingly around their mother, who was seated in a chair. The Princess of Wales had an arm around Louis and Charlotte, while George leaned from above to give her a hug.

The picture was significant as the first released of Princess Kate following herabdominal surgeryon Jan. 16, but trouble erupted after esteemed photo agencies pulled the image.

Kate Middleton with her three children, Prince Louis, Prince George and Princess Charlotte.The Prince and Princess of Wales/Instagram

Kate Middleton Mother’s Day

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Responding to the controversy, Princess Kate 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,” the Princess of Wales wrote in a post shared on social media around 10:30 a.m. local time on Monday, signed “C.”

A palace insider downplayed the PR crisis,telling PEOPLEexclusively the situation is a “bump in the road, it’s not an earthquake.”

“[Kate] has apologized and graciously so,” the insider says. “She has done something that 99% of us do — and we don’t have the scrutiny that they do.”

“Think of the level of scrutiny of pictures of her, as people pore over them,” the insider says. “You’re always on display and always got to be perfect.”

source: people.com