Despite what internet sleuths have alleged, a photo agency is insisting that the recent picture of Prince William and Princess Kate Middleton together was not altered.
Goff Photos, the agency responsible for distributing the image, addressed the Photoshop accusations in a statement to E! News on Tuesday, March 12, insisting that while the pics “have been cropped and lightened,” they were not “doctored.”
Kate, 42, was spotted on Monday, March 11, for the second time since her abdominal surgery. In a photo shared by the Daily Mail, William, 41, and his wife were seen leaving Windsor Castle. While William’s face was clearly visible, Kate turned away from the camera, gazing out the opposite window. (According to the outlet, she was headed to a private appointment” while he went to a Commonwealth Day event.)
As the photo made the rounds online, some social media users theorized that it had been manipulated, comparing the colors of the bricks seen through the car window and those above the vehicle. Other users even suspected that the woman next to William was not actually Kate.
In January, Kensington Palace announced that Kate was in the hospital after undergoing a “planned” surgery. “The surgery was successful, and it is expected that she will remain in hospital for ten to fourteen days, before returning home to continue her recovery,” read a statement at the time. “Based on the current medical advice, she is unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter.”
The palace noted that Kate would be postponing her engagements throughout her recovery and that updates would only be provided “when there is significant new information to share.”
Prior to her procedure, Kate was last seen in December 2023. She reemerged earlier this month and was photographed in the passenger seat of a car with her mother, Carole Middleton.
Speculation about the princess’ wellbeing has been widespread due to the palace’s tight-lipped nature, but reps for both William and Kate have attempted to shut down the social media chatter.
“Kensington Palace made it clear in January the timelines of the princess’ recovery and we’d only be providing significant updates,” a spokesperson for Kate noted in a February 29 statement. “That guidance stands.”
Weeks later, William’s rep asserted that the future king’s “focus in on work and not on social media.”
The controversy, however, has only escalated since. A family photo shared via social media in honor of Mother’s Day on Sunday, March 10, was highly scrutinized. Not only is Kate not wearing her wedding ring in the photo, which was said to be taken by William, but several international news agencies received a “kill” notice instructing them to remove the photo from all platforms because it was “manipulated” by the source.
Kate addressed the allegations one day later. “Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing,” read an X post shared via the official Prince and Princess of Wales account on Monday. “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.”
In Us Weekly’s new cover story, a source shed light on how Kate is handling the controversy. “She’s trying not to pay attention to all the rumors and gossip, and William is doing his best to shield her, but it’s distressing,” the insider said.
