Princess of Wales/Kensington Palace, London
The photo, which shows the Queen and 10 of her young relatives, was published last year. CNN has cordoned off areas that show clear numerical discrepancies.
London
CNN
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Another official portrait of Catherine, Princess of Wales has been digitally manipulated, according to a leading photo agency The Second Royal Revision Controversy Just as Kate was seen in public for the first time in months.
A photo of Queen Elizabeth with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, taken by Kate and released by Kensington Palace last year, has been “digitally enhanced,” Getty Images said, and a CNN analysis found signs of alteration in up to 19 places.
It follows a similar saga around a Mother's Day photo of Catherine and her children, said to have been taken by Prince William, which was also retouched. In an effort to calm the uproar that followed the first edited photo, Kate apologized She claimed last Monday that she likes to “experiment” with photo editing.
Newly discovered discrepancies in the second royal photo put Kate at the center of more questions, and threaten to damage the royal family's relationships with leading news and photography agencies.
It is a controversy that will not be welcomed by the Welsh, as it comes amid a period of intense scrutiny of the princess's health and status.
On Saturday, Prince William and Kate were spotted and photographed at a farm shop near their home, alleviating questions about her health.
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William and Kate were seen shopping on Saturday, a rare sighting for the Princess of Wales since the palace announced she had undergone abdominal surgery in January.
The princess was also photographed earlier this month inside her private car leaving Windsor Castle, where she attended a private appointment on March 11, Kensington Palace previously told CNN.
She has not been seen in public since the palace announced that she had undergone abdominal surgery in January.
The most recent controversy centers on a photo published in April 2023, showing the queen – who died last September – surrounded by 10 of her young relatives.
The palace said Kate took the photo at Balmoral Castle in Scotland in the months before the queen's death, but corrections have led to confusion over whether the photo had been stitched together from various different shots.
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Inconsistencies in the image of Balmoral include the misalignment of the Queen's skirt, her blankets, and the sofa on which she is sitting. Princess Charlotte's hair tresses appear to have been replicated, while the edge of Prince Louis' shoulder is blurred and appears to blend into the background. The lighting on several members of the royal family in the photo also does not match the overall lighting of the photo.
Getty said in a note to the editor that the image was “digitally enhanced from source.” CNN contacted the agency. Kensington Palace declined to comment when contacted on Tuesday.
In a statement to CNN, the company said: “Getty Images reviews published images and, in accordance with its editorial policy, places an editor’s note on images that the source has suggested could be digitally enhanced.”
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In Kate's brief apology for the Mother's Day photo, she did not explain why she changed her photos, nor why Kensington Palace did not reveal the changes it had made to photo agencies.
The rebuke of Getty and others is more than just an embarrassment to the royal family.
The family, like countless governments and institutions around the world, relies on agencies to distribute their images to the media. But these companies have strict rules about allowing only minimal editing; By secretly manipulating their images in various places, the royals portrayed themselves as potential distributors of misinformation.
Getty in particular has long had a close relationship with Kensington Palace. They have often been invited to do photo shoots for members of the royal family, and have sponsored royal events.
Kate has taken a break from her public duties while she recovers from her surgery, a lengthy absence that has given rise to a host of online conspiracy theories and questions about her health in the British media. Meanwhile, King Charles III has been taking on lighter duties after announcing his cancer diagnosis in February.
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