London — A 2023 photo of the late Queen Elizabeth II and her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, credited to Catherine, the Princess of Wales, has been flagged as "digitally enhanced at source" by international photo agency, Getty. The move came after a more recent image, a British Mother's Day photo released by Kensington Palace in March, was found to have been digitally altered.
The older image was released by Buckingham Palace on April 21, 2023 to mark what would have been the queen's 97th birthday. Like the photo Princess Kate has now admitted to "editing" of her and her children, the 2023 image was credited to the princess herself, who's said she enjoys photography as a hobby.
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"Getty Images is undertaking a review of handout images and in accordance with its editorial policy is placing an editor's note on images where the source has suggested they could be digitally enhanced," a Getty spokesperson told CBS News on Tuesday.
The alleged photo was taken at the royal family's Balmoral Castle, in Scotland, in August 2022. Several inconsistencies can be observed upon closer examination, such as a distortion in the queen's plaid skirt and a black area near Prince George's neck.
Getty's recent editorial update coincided with rumors surrounding Kate's well-being, sparked by the alterations found in the March image featuring her and her children.
Earlier this year, Kensington Palace announced that Kate would undergo scheduled abdominal surgery and would be on a private recovery period until at least Easter, on March 31. It was stated that no health updates would be provided during her recuperation. However, on Mother's Day in March, the couple shared the manipulated photo of Kate and her three children.
Kate acknowledged in a social media post that she had edited the image, though Kensington Palace has declined to disclose the original, unaltered version.
Reports from British tabloids indicated that Kate was spotted in public for the first time since her absence.
The Sun tabloid newspaper mentioned that Kate and her husband William, the Prince of Wales, were sighted at a farm shop close to her family's residence in Windsor, located west of London, on Saturday. Witnesses described her as appearing "happy, relaxed, and in good health." Subsequently, a blurry video emerged showing the couple leaving the shop.
Speculation Surrounding Kate Middleton's Public Duties
According to Royah Nikkhah, the royal editor for Britain's Sunday Times newspaper, the recent sightings of Kate Middleton looking happy, healthy, and active may help to reduce speculation about her absence from public events. Nikkhah mentioned to CBS News that Kate may or may not choose to walk to church on Easter Sunday, but it is anticipated that she will resume her public duties by mid-April.
