Several photo agencies, including Reuters and Associated Press, have withdrawn from circulation the photo of Princess Kate released this morning for fear that it has been "manipulated".
Sky News reports it, recalling that the one published by Kensington Palace is the first official image of the Princess of Wales after abdominal surgery in January.
The shot in question was published to celebrate Mother's Day and shows Kate surrounded by her three children: Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
The image was initially released by several photo agencies, but in the evening at least two withdrew it and told the media to delete the photo from their systems and archives.
The AP also updated its website to inform journalists and broadcasters that the image has been removed, and the updated caption reads: "Upon closer inspection, it appears the source has manipulated the image in a way that does not satisfy AP photography standards. The photo shows an inconsistency in the alignment of Princess Charlotte's left hand."
Kensington Palace declined to comment, Sky News reports.
The photo was sent to agencies explaining that it had been taken by Prince William earlier this week.
Kate underwent an unspecified abdominal surgery on January 16th at the London Clinic, where she then remained hospitalized for 13 nights, with a rest period until at least after Easter.
The last time the future queen was photographed in public was during a walk in Sandringham on Christmas Day.
While the 'stolen' photo was taken a few days ago and was published only by the tabloid newspaper TMZ - and not in the Kingdom - which shows her with her face hidden by eye-catching sunglasses, in the passenger seat of an Audi 4X4 driven by her mother in close to the park surrounding Windsor Castle, not far from the cottage where the Galles have lived since 2022 and where Kate is spending her long post-operative convalescence.
In the shot of her husband and heir to the throne, Prince William, released today by Kensington Palace, Kate is found outdoors, sitting on a garden chair and dressed in a casual look with jeans, a turtleneck and a jacket, surrounded from the children who are standing instead.
A photo in which the family appears serene and happy and which has the clear aim of wiping out all the conspiracy theories regarding the causes of the Princess of Wales' operation.
In a statement, the Palace then specified that the photo was taken "in Windsor at the beginning of the week".
"Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over these two months. I wish everyone a happy Mother's Day", we read on the X account, next to the photo of the princess, 42 years old, smiling with her three children: George, Charlotte and Louis.
Reproduction reserved © Copyright ANSA