Various agencies have moved to take down a photograph of Kate Middleton and her children over concerns that the image was manipulated.
Following the development, various online users have revealed their conspiracy theories about the whereabouts of the Princess of Wales. Shortly after the family photo that showed Middleton and her children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis was published, agencies issued kill notifications.
Kate Middleton Photograph
In a notice, the AFP said that it was found that the handout that was issued by Kensington Palace of the Princess of Wales and her children had been "altered." On the other hand, Reuters announced that they were deleting the image "following a post-publication review."
The Associated Press also noted that it had initially published the image but later retracted it due to being a manipulated image that it said did not meet its photo standards. It added that the image showed an inconsistency in the alignment of Princess Charlotte's left hand.
The release of the image followed several weeks of talks on social media platforms regarding what had happened to Middleton since leaving a hospital on Jan. 29. It followed a nearly two-week stay after getting a planned abdominal surgery, according to USA Today.
Instead of addressing rumors about the Princess of Wales' whereabouts, the image has caused more people to engage in them. One user posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that while they have never been much of a conspiracy theorist, the move made by various agencies signaled that something was not right.
Another user added that the photograph suggests that Kensington Palace believes it can control all media like it did before. They argued that they needed to put Middleton on video in order to stop all of the rumors that were floating around.
Several photo professionals have also pointed out issues in the editing process, which they said could have contributed to the altered state. In recent weeks, the royal family has been under increased scrutiny due to both Middleton and King Charles III not carrying out their typical public duties over health issues.
Claims of Manipulation
The taking down of the image comes as many photo agencies and news organizations have strict rules against publishing photographs that have been overly edited or manipulated. The removal of elements from a photo or adding them is frowned upon because it undermines trust in the image itself, said CNN.
Additionally, news agencies often use specialist software in order to check whether or not photographs were manipulated. The rapid advancement of generative AI in the past few years has also made it much easier for bad actors to create convincing fake images and videos.
The royal's public disappearance sparked various online rumors and even prompted international media coverage. The situation eased up after early March when an image of her riding in a car where she wore dark sunglasses.
The latest image of Middleton and her children was made under the pretext of the Princess of Wales people for their support in the last few months. She also used the social media post to wish moms in the United Kingdom a happy Mother's Day, according to ABC News.
