Manipulation of Kate Middleton’s photo fuels more conspiracy theories

Kensington Palace’s botched communications strategy has had a boomerang effect that has only further fueled conspiracy theories surrounding the whereabouts and health of Kate Middleton. On Sunday, the Princess of Wales posted a photo of herself surrounded by her three children on social media to mark Mother’s Day in the United Kingdom. It was an effort to nip speculation about her health, which has been circulating since January 17 when she disappeared from the public eye after undergoing “planned abdominal surgery,” in the bud.

Millions of people began to scrutinize the photo down to the smallest detail, and pointed out obvious Photoshop manipulations. At the end of the day, the most important media agencies in the world — Associated Press, Reuters, Agence France-Presse and Getty — pulled the image from their servers, citing concerns that the photo had been altered.

At least one detail — the end of the right cuff of little Charlotte’s cardigan — is evidence that the photo has been manipulated. The girl’s wrist appears displaced, while part of the sleeve is missing.

The Princess of Wales is fond of photography and for many years has been the one responsible for taking photos of her family, which she then distributes to the press or posts on social media. In this case, Kensington Palace said the image was taken by Prince William. It is now under pressure to explain the photo, which was made public early Sunday.

News organizations follow strict guidelines on the use of manipulated photos, and did not wish to take responsibility for an image they suspected of being digitally manipulated.

Prince William’s communications team said that the photo had been taken in Windsor earlier this week. It was an obvious attempt to try to stop the rumors and speculation that have been circulating about Kate Middleton. Kensington Palace resisted providing more details about the operation, out of respect for the privacy of the princess.

Last week, the U.S. gossip website TMZ published an unauthorized photo of Middleton sitting in the passenger seat of an Audi 4x4 driven by her mother around Windsor. Kate was wearing dark glasses and the image was blurry. The British media decided against publishing it to preserve the family’s wish for privacy. When the image of the princess with her children came to light on Sunday, every British newspaper and television station led with it. The idea that the media was actually given a manipulated image may hurt the Prince and Princess of Wales’ communications team even more, fueling more social media theories about the true whereabouts and health of Kate Middleton.

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