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.
A woman told her daughter that her father had passed away – years later, the girl uncovered a heartbreaking truth
When Cassie returns from a getaway with her husband and son, she walks into her home to see a cryptic message from her mother — telling her to watch a video. As Cassie presses play, her entire life changes. In the end, she’s left wondering which of her parents are worthy of forgiveness.
In my eyes, my father could do no wrong. He was everything I needed him to be and more. He was a businessman who was always traveling, but he ensured that he made enough time for me.
“You’re my little girl, Cassie,” he would say, bopping my nose with his index finger. “You’re the most special.”
My parents always went out of their way for me — ensuring that despite their busy schedules, we would have family dinner almost every night.
It was the one thing that kept me grounded while both of my friends from school were in the middle of their parents’ messy divorces.
“I think it’s trendy now,” I told my mother as she cut slices of banana bread for me after school one day.
“Cas, you cannot think that divorce is trendy,” she laughed. “It’s devastating and traumatic, and very few families actually keep things civil.”
“I’m just saying that it’s trendy because a lot of kids live between two homes,” I explained to her. “It’s one of those things we were talking about in class today.”
I was fourteen, and the world seemed more dramatic than it should have been.
But what I didn’t know was that my words seemed to be an incantation that settled over our home.
A few weeks after that conversation, my father went away on a business trip. A few hours after he had been gone, there was news of his passing.
“How?” I asked. “How did he die?”
“I don’t know what to tell you, Cassie,” she replied. “I’m just saying what the paramedics told me.”
“So what will we do next?” I asked.
“What do you mean?” she asked, puzzled by the question.
“For the funeral?” I asked. “Aren’t we going to have one?”
“I don’t think so,” my mother replied. “Dad wanted to be cremated and have his ashes spread at the beach. Let’s do that instead.”
I couldn’t fathom why my mother would want to do that — but at the end of the day, she knew my father best. And the longer I thought about it, the more beautiful and sentimental a private ceremony at the beach felt.
“Don’t be difficult, Cassie,” my mother said when she saw me thinking about my next move.
“I’m not,” I said. “Really. I was just thinking about it. It’s a great idea, Mom.”
I could have fought her for a send-off that I thought would have been more appropriate. But what use would it have been? At the end of the day, we had both lost him.
The months following the beach ceremony felt weighted, and I knew that I was becoming deeply depressed — my father had been our world. And his absence was felt more than anything.
But, with time, I learned to live with it.
Last week, I decided to book a cabin in the woods for a little family vacation. My son was adamant that camping was the new best thing, and I knew that despite the wonders of nature, I wasn’t going to camp in a tent without a bathroom in sight.
Instead, I thought that a cabin would be the best option — my husband, Derek, could camp outside with Drew, our son, if he insisted on it.
We had a dog, therefore, I asked my mother to house-sit for the week so that we could be at peace, knowing that Romeo was taken care of.
A week away was more than enough to restore my mind — and eventually, when we went back home, I was surprised to see that my mother wasn’t there. In fact, it looked like she had never been there.
But there, on the coffee table, was a note beneath the TV remote.
Watch this, Cassie. I’m sorry. — Mom
I didn’t know what was in store for me, but while Derek got Drew into the bath, I put the TV on and began to watch whatever my mother had planned.
The TV flickered to life, and there he was, my father, his voice a long-lost melody, his image aged but still, unmistakably him.
Tears streamed down my face as the realization that he was still alive enveloped me in a mix of joy and disbelief.
The video message was nothing short of unpredictable.
My dear Cassie, I’m still here, alive. I’m so sorry for the pain that you must have felt from my loss. But it was needed. I needed to be removed from your life because of the sordid truth of my past. Your mother knows everything, please ask her for the truth.
My health is on a steady decline, and I would love to see you and explain it all.
Love you, Dad.
Without telling Derek or Drew anything, I grabbed the car keys and ran out. I needed my mother to explain.
“So, I bet you’ve got questions for me,” she said, opening the door.
“Explain it all,” I said.
“Cassie, it’s heavy. You look tired from your trip; are you sure you want to do this now?” she asked.
I nodded. It was now or never. I needed to know why my father faked his own death to get out of our lives.
My mother made us some tea and took out some shortbread.
“Darling,” she said. “I’ll understand if you don’t forgive me, but there’s so much about that time that I need to tell you.”
I sipped my tea, trying to figure out what my mother was about to tell me.
“I remember that you were telling me about your friend’s parents getting divorced. Do you remember that?” she asked.
I nodded. Of course, I did. It was the strangest thing, but it was so common when I was in school.
“Well, your father and I were not legally married. So when I told him about our conversation regarding divorce, he was actually relieved. Without being married, there would be no divorce.”
“What’s the big deal?” I asked.
“Then I found out that the real reason that we didn’t get married was because your father was already married to another woman.”
“What?” I exclaimed, almost dropping my cup. “To who?”
“To a woman in the town where he always had his business trips.”
“You didn’t know?” I asked, unable to believe her words.
“Of course not!” she exclaimed. “But when I pressed him about it, he decided to choose that family over us. So, I told him that the story was going to be his death.”
We were both silent for a moment.
Turns out that my mother told him that she would never tell me the truth, not when he was my favorite person. She couldn’t burst my bubble in that way. And she refused to let him see me one more time.
“It was better for you to think that it was an accident,” my mother said. “It just made more sense.”
Now, I understood why we didn’t have a funeral for him.
“What did we throw into the sea, then?” I asked.
“Dust,” she replied with a straight face.
My mother had spoken to him twice over the years. The second time being a day ago.
During their meeting, my father confessed his imminent death due to illness and requested that she give me the recording. My mother, torn by guilt and love, chose to write me the note and have the recording all set for me to watch.
“I would have taken the secret to my grave,” she said. “But knowing that he was ill and wanted to see you just struck something in me.”
Compelled by a need to confront the reality of my father’s existence, I traveled to the state where he lived with his other family.
I spent a few weeks with my father — going in and out of hospitals, watching him take an array of different medication, and growing weaker by the day.
Sitting at his bedside, I listened to his stories, the regrets, the moments of joy, and the love he had for all his children — myself included.
When things started to go downhill, I asked Derek to fly over with Drew. It was going to be a fleeting moment, but at least I’d know that my son had met my father.
A few days later, my father died.
Even now, I don’t know if I’ve forgiven him for the lie of having a double life. I just know that when it came to it in the end — I wanted to spend time with him. I had shoved my feelings aside, hoping for memories that I could figure out later.
But now that the dust has settled, I’m trying to figure out if I should forgive my mother for lying.
What would you do?
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