Kate Middleton had not been seen since Christmas Day—except for the TMZ paparazzi picture—until this weekend. For Mother’s Day, the Prince and Princess of Wales released a photo of Kate with her three children, and it appeared as if she was doing well.
However, what followed was not what the palace had wanted. On social media, users found strange errors in the picture, and experts claimed it was photoshopped. The conspiracy theories surrounding Kate are only growing following the botched image edits, and it didn’t take long before the princess commented on it.
The drama surrounding the picture has left William and Kate in a very tough situation. Let’s take a closer look at what experts in the field found strange about it.
In recent weeks, conspiracy theories about where Kate Middleton is, how she is doing, and all sorts of things have come to light on the internet. The fact that the princess hadn’t been seen since Christmas Day – and no picture of her had been published by Kensington Palace – left many royal fans to believe that there was something The Firm had been hiding.
Kate Middleton health rumors – paparazzi picture of her raises questions
TMZ published a paparazzi picture of Kate sitting in a car with her mother, Carole Middleton, in Windsor a few weeks ago, but it did little to quell the rumors about how the Princess of Wales was doing. In fact, it only seemed to fuel them.
There have been whispers that Kate possibly wanted her picture taken as she sat in the car. However, according to Christopher Andersen, author of The King, it was “definitely” not staged.
“She was trying to sneak out of Windsor with her mother and was clearly not pleased that they had been spotted by a photographer,” Andersen told Fox. “This cloak-and-dagger stuff is only going to fuel more speculation about what’s really going on with Kate and with her father-in-law, King Charles.”
He added, “In its typically smug fashion, the palace issued a statement last week insisting that everything was going according to plan. They never explained, however, why Kate spent weeks in the hospital after ‘planned abdominal surgery’ and has needed to remain closeted away for months. It’s all been terribly fishy from the get-go.”
On Sunday, on Mother’s Day, Kensington Palace finally released a picture of Kate. The Princess of Wales is seen sitting on a patio surrounded by her three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, which many took as a sign that she was doing well following her surgery in January.
Kate Middleton – new picture with Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis
“Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months. Wishing everyone a Happy Mother’s Day,” the caption on the Prince and Princess of Wales’ official Instagram account read. It was signed “C,” meaning Kate herself had written it.
At first, royal fans were filled with joy. The picture was sent to global news agencies, and many sent Kate their best wishes.
Royal historian Kate William told CNN that she believes Kensington Palace released the picture of Kate to “stop the speculation” while she recovers in private.
“They [Kensington Palace] are trying to send a clear message to both the public and the press to respect Kate’s privacy on this medical matter,” Williams said. “What they’re trying to say is Kate is recovering, she’s fine, no more worries, no more panic, no more speculation.”
The royal historian added: “I think the last thing they [Kensington Palace] want is for her to feel she can’t go out and walk in case she’s going to be photographed.”
In the comment section. However, it took only hours before everything had changed.
On social media, photography and picture-editing experts quickly began questioning the picture’s authenticity. Many details appeared to have been manipulated, with some being more clear than others.
Fans accuse new picture of Kate Middleton of be manipulated – gruesome errors revealed
“Professional photographer here. Look closely at Princess Charlotte’s wrist. This is what happens when you composite layers in Photoshop. I’m not speculating on why the photo was edited like this, but it’s weird,” portrait photographer Martin Bamford wrote.
There were several significant details social media users became obsessed with analyzing, including Charlotte’s half-missing sleeve and blurred skirt and Kate’s misplaced zip.
Charlotte’s knee—as well as Kate Middleton’s hand around Louis—was “blurry,” and her wrist and jumper sleeve were accused of being manipulated.
Some social media users claimed that “editing fails,” including Kate’s left hand not having a wedding ring and even her chin being photoshopped.
“The more you look at this, the worse it gets. the hands, the fact some parts are so blurry and some so sharp, the way Charlotte is apparently balancing in that position, there is literally a crease in the step, the reflection in the window doesn’t match,” one user wrote.
“Not really kept up with this whole conspiracy theory, but this photo is SOO DODGY 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 f— as well?” another user added, continuing, “but if it’s a real photo – *why* would they edit it so much and so badly? they’re not stupid they would’ve seen all the rumours going about, releasing an awfully edited photo only fuels them.”
News agency says “source has manipulated the image”
It didn’t take long before news agencies began investigating the picture. The Associated Press, Reuters, Getty Images, and Agence France-Presse all decided to issue “kill notices,” which are advisory notices to remove or not use a specific photo.
“It appears that the source has manipulated the image,” the Associated Press notification read.
They also released a statement, saying, “The Associated Press initially published the photo, which was issued by Kensington Palace. The AP later retracted the image because at closer inspection, it appears that the source had manipulated the image in a way that did not meet AP’s photo standards. The photo shows an inconsistency in the alignment of Princess Charlotte’s left hand.”
Speaking to GB News, Dr Hany Farid, a professor of computer sciences, said the work on Princess Charlotte’s sleeve looked like a “bad Photoshop job.”
“I clearly see what is being referenced here, with respect to her sleeve. It looks like a bad Photoshop job. I know we talk a lot about AI lately but it is still possible to use traditional photo-editing tools,” Farid said.
The professor added, “What you would be worried about here is if Kate wasn’t in this photo and had been digitally inserted. This would be a dramatic manipulation.”
The fact that Kate Middleton’s wedding ring wasn’t visible in the picture further fueled speculation about something being hidden from the public. But according to Kensington Palace, there was a reason for that.
Kate Middleton issues apology – reveals she edited photo herself
Speaking to ITV News, Kate’s office responded that she wasn’t wearing the ring because she was “at home” when the photo was taken, and dismissed speculations about her marriage with William by stating, “It was her husband who took the photo.”
Initially, Kensington Palace decided not to comment on the alleged manipulation of the Kate photo. However, on Monday morning, Kate Middleton took to the Prince and Princess of Wales’ official X account to explain what had happened.
The image was indeed edited – and Kate had done it.
“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,” the post read.
Meanwhile, as per Express, Kensington Palace has confirmed it “would not be reissuing the original unedited photograph of Kate and her children.”
Speaking to GB News, royal expert Katie Nicholl stated that Kensington Palace will now be under much pressure.
“What’s so major in all of this is that four international picture agencies have killed this image. That’s really rare,” Nicholl said.
“I can’t think of a a time since I’ve been doing this job for the best part of 15 years where a royal image has been recalled. So that’s highly unusual. It might force Kensington Palace’s hand.”
The conspiracy theories surrounding Kate Middleton, her marriage to William, and how she really is doing after the “planned” abdominal surgery have been ongoing for weeks. The manipulated picture didn’t improve things, but at least Kate has spoken out about it now.
Sister Seized Family’s Entire Inheritance and Only Left a Tattered Blanket for Brother with Disability – Story of the Day
Edward was devastated when his sister, Sarah, called him and told him their grandmother died. He never imagined she would also plan on taking almost everything, leaving him only an old blanket…
“Grandma Sandy is dead. Are you coming to the funeral?” Sarah said coldly through the phone.
“Sarah, how can you speak so callously? Of course, I’m coming to the funeral,” Edward told his big sister. She probably asked because it was hard for Edward to move around with his disability. He was in a car accident several years ago and lost both legs.
Edward grabbed an old blanket from his grandmother’s house. | Source: Shutterstock
Since then, his family lived on his wife’s paycheck, which was not much. Gianna worked hard, but she also had to help him and mostly raise their two kids. Edward had not been able to find a proper job, but he was currently waiting for a work-from-home offer.
Sarah’s news was devastating. He loved his grandmother dearly, and unlike everyone else in the family, she tried her best to help his family after the accident. She didn’t have a lot of money but babysat the kids often.
“Well, whatever. She was old already. Anyway, I’m calling to tell you to get here fast, or I’m taking almost everything,” Sarah added.
“What do you mean? Get where?” Edward asked, confused.
Sarah was sorting and taking everything valuable. | Source: Pexels
“Her house. I’m here sorting through stuff, and I’m taking most of it now. Maybe I can get something out of it,” Sarah explained.
“You can’t do that!” Edward yelled through the phone.
“Yes, I can. She left no will, and we were her only direct relatives. Also, I’m keeping the house because you already have one. I’m being nice and telling you to come here if you want anything before I sell them,” Sarah finished and hung up.
Gianna drove Edward to his grandmother’s house, but when he got there, Sarah didn’t let him take anything. “No, I called dibs on that already,” she said when he grabbed a random vase. It didn’t matter. Owning these things would not soothe the pain of losing their grandmother.
Edward took interest in his grandmother’s old blanket instead. | Source: Pexels
“How about this?” Edward asked, grabbing an old blanket with a beautiful pattern. He remembered when he and his neighborhood friends would use it to build a fort with his grandmother’s dining room chairs.
“Oh, that old thing? Sure,” Sarah said dismissively. Edward took it and told his wife it was time to leave. He didn’t want to spend one more minute in that house, watching his sister callously sort through their grandmother’s things for her personal gain.
“I can’t believe Sarah’s attitude,” Gianna said on the car ride home.
“I know. She was never the warmest person, but this is just…disgusting. If our parents were here, they would be so disappointed,” Edward added. But they let the subject go and continued with their lives. He finally landed a job that allowed him to work from home.
Their Native American friend, Chenoa, thought the blanket could be special. | Source: Unsplash
Everything was looking up for their family after all these years of worry. Gianna also decided to hang the blanket in their room because the intricate woven pattern was beautiful. “I’m going to save up some money, and we can frame it,” she said.
He loved his wife because she could appreciate the little things like that. One day, her friend, Chenoa, visited them, and Gianna showed her the blanket. “OMG, that actually looks Navajo!” her friend said.
“You think so? I think Edward’s grandmother had it for ages. She might not have known,” Gianna added. But Chenoa was Native American. She would definitely know.
“That’s definitely a Navajo blanket, and it looks old but well-preserved. Can I take a picture? There’s a man on the reservation who can identify Navajo anywhere. I’ll text him,” Chenoa explained.
They auctioned it off for a huge amount. | Source: Unsplash
A few minutes later, the man replied and confirmed that the blanket was, in fact, authentic and appeared to be antique. Edward and Gianna invited the man over, and he explained that it could be a blanket from the 1800s.
“This is serious. You two might have stumbled upon a precious antique,” the Navajo expert told them.
So they took the blanket to an antiquarian who confirmed this too. “This could be worth between $200,000 and $500,000…maybe more,” he explained.
Upon learning this, Edward and Gianna decided to place the blanket for auction despite its big sentimental value. The fact is, life is unpredictable, and they needed the money so their kids would be safe. But they didn’t expect how the auction would turn out.
“Sold! For 1.5 million dollars!” the auctioneer yelled. Edward and Gianna looked at each other, dumbfounded. They were now millionaires.
Sarah demanded money and was arrested for trespassing. | Source: Unsplash
Their big win reached the local newspaper which wrote a story about it, and Edward’s entire family, including Sarah, found out. “I demand half that money, Edward! Or I will sue you!” Sarah screamed at him.
“You kept everything for yourself, Sarah. You don’t have a case. This is our money. Goodbye,” Edward said.
Edward was right. Sarah didn’t have a case, so she started harassing them for the money. This urged Edward to have her arrested for trying to break into their home. He also filed a restraining order against Sarah and got her to stop harassing them.
In the end, Edward’s family thrived, thanks to that money. The kids had college funds, and he started his own business.
Leave a Reply