Kate wanted to ‘come clean immediately’ over Mother’s Day photo edit as she thought ‘honesty was best policy’

12 March 2024, 05:35

The Princess of Wales wanted to come clean 'immediately' about the mistake.
The Princess of Wales wanted to come clean 'immediately' about the mistake. Picture: Alamy/Kensington Palace

By Jenny Medlicott

The Princess of Wales wanted to come clean ‘immediately’ about her Mother’s Day photo mishap as she believed honesty was the ‘best policy’, a palace insider has claimed.

Listen to this article

Loading audio...

Kate apologised on Tuesday over the edited Mother's Day picture that kick-started wild speculation.

It sparked a huge row and caused news agencies to delete it from their systems.

Now a palace insider has claimed that the princess felt ‘awful’ about the edited photo, which she had tried to make ‘the best it could be’, The Telegraph reports.

The Princess was reportedly eager to come clean about the mistake immediately.

A friend of Kate told The Mirror that she would ‘likely be upset by the furore caused by what was supposed to be an innocent family photograph’.

Earlier on Monday, Kate was pictured with Prince William in the back of a car leaving their Windsor home. It is understood she had a private appointment.

Read more: Royal photo manipulation row deepens as UK’s biggest news agency withdraws 'doctored' Princess of Wales image

Read more: Prince William makes solo appearance at climate event hours after Kate apologised amid 'Photoshop' row

Kate issued a statement apologising on Monday, she said: "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."

The beaming Mother's Day picture of Princess Kate is still on the couple's official Instagram page. She has today revealed the image was manipulated, and that she did the editing work on it herself.

Royal sources said the Princess of Wales made "minor adjustments" and that Kate and the Prince of Wales wanted to offer an informal picture of the family together for Mother's Day.

"The Wales family spent Mother's Day together and had a wonderful day," a source added.

Kensington Palace said it would not be reissuing the original unedited photograph.

Earlier, The UK’s biggest press agency ordered the withdrawal of the controversial picture.

The Press Association ordered news outlets to delete the image from websites saying it must be removed “in the absence of clarification from Kensington Palace on the veracity of the image.” This is known in the industry as a 'picture kill'.

Kate posted an image today apologising for editing the Mother's Day photo
Kate posted an image today apologising for editing the Mother's Day photo. Picture: Instagram

They said the image should be taken down “immediately” - ahead of Kensington Palace issuing an apology over the image under Kate's name.

PA's website describes the media agency as the "UK's leading provider of multimedia content and services." A spokesperson for the UK's national news agency said: "Like other news agencies, PA Media issued the handout image provided by Kensington Palace of the Princess of Wales and her children in good faith yesterday.

Keen eyes spotted multiple 'errors' with the image that indicate it had been doctored
Keen eyes spotted multiple 'errors' with the image that indicate it had been doctored. Picture: Alamy

"We became aware of concerns about the image and we carried a report about it last night, and made clear that we were seeking urgent clarification about the image from Kensington Palace.

"In the absence of that clarification, we are killing the image from our picture service."

Yesterday Reuters, AP, Getty and AFP all removed the picture over claims it may have been digitally manipulated.

Picture agencies issued 'kill' notifications for the Mother's Day image
Picture agencies issued 'kill' notifications for the Mother's Day image. Picture: PA

Experts have said the picture was ‘damaging’ to the royals and the public would ‘question whether health updates can be trusted’.

The first official photo of Kate was released on Sunday following her abdominal surgery - but keen eyes spotted parts of the photograph which had been manipulated.

The photo of Kate with her three children Louis, George and Charlotte, first caught the attention of the Associated Press (AP), Reuters, Getty and Agence France-Presse for apparent image changes - and they all issued kill notices to inform journalists not to use the image.

Kate admitted 'experimenting' with the image - Princess Charlotte's sleeve was one of the edited areas under scrutiny
Kate admitted 'experimenting' with the image - Princess Charlotte's sleeve was one of the edited areas under scrutiny. Picture: PA

The photo was released as wild conspiracy theories circulate about the Princess's health after her lengthy lay-off following surgery.

Several ‘inconsistencies’ have been pointed out in the image, which was released for Mother's Day in the UK, with some claiming Kate’s zip is misaligned and that her wedding ring is absent. However, the main errors in the image appears to be with Princess Charlotte’s skirt, which is blurred a the edges, and her sleeve, which is partially missing.

Alongside the pictures, The Princess of Wales thanked the public for their "kind wishes and continued support" following her operation. The message was signed “C” for Catherine.

An updated AP caption on the image read: "At closer inspection, it appears that the source has manipulated the image."

An AP spokesperson told the Telegraph: “The photo shows an inconsistency in the alignment of Princess Charlotte’s left hand.”

All agencies have a policy of not distributing photographs that have been overly edited. Kensington Palace provided the photo to agencies and said it had been taken by the Prince of Wales earlier this week.

The photo is the first authorised release by Kensington Palace since Kate's surgery.

There is no suggestion that the Princess is not in good health despite the claims. Kate was last seen in public attending the Christmas Day service at Sandringham with the rest of the royal family.

However, she was pictured publicly for the first time with her mother Carole Middleton on Monday by US outlet TMZ.

It follows weeks of speculation on her whereabouts, with Kensington Palace refusing to give further updates on her recovery. The palace slammed the "madness of social media", insisting that Kate has a right to privacy and that she is "doing well".

Kate will not return to her royal duties until after Easter. She spent almost two weeks in the London Clinic in Marylebone and was discharged at the end of January to continue her recovery at home in Windsor.

Sharing the image to mark Mother's Day, Kate said: "Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months. "Wishing everyone a Happy Mother's Day."

It came as King Charles also paid tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth to mark Mother's Day. Sharing an image of them together, the official royal family Twitter account said: "Wishing all Mothers, and those who are missing their Mums today, a peaceful Mothering Sunday."

More Latest News

See more More Latest News

Exclusive
The scene on the Strand in the aftermath of the crash

Witness's horror after 'panicked and frozen' van driver ploughs into three pedestrians on Strand, as woman left dead

Ellis Matthews, 32, is currently being held at a centre for mothers with children with her four-year-old son.

British expat who ‘lied’ about claiming benefits ‘goes on hunger strike’ in Thai prison

Paul Butler admitted the murder of Claire Chick

Man admits murdering university lecturer in street in Plymouth

The Stena Immaculate crew have been praised for their 'exceptional bravery'

Tanker owners release first picture of crew and hail their 'exceptional bravery’

Nicholas Prosper killed his family

Teenager who murdered family planned to massacre 30 school children to become UK's most notorious mass killer

Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall making a statement on welfare reform in the House of Commons, London. Picture date: Tuesday March 18, 2025.

Labour's battle on benefits begins as rebels say crackdown will cause 'immense suffering'

A woman in her 20s died at the scene, police said

LIVE: Woman in her 20s dies after ‘van hit three people’ near The Strand in central London

A woman in her 20s died in the crash

Woman killed after van hits three pedestrians in Strand in central London, as man arrested for drug driving

Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin have reportedly shared their first phone call since the election.

US ‘could recognise Crimea as Russian in peace deal’ as Trump to hold ceasefire talks with Putin

Paul Young and his wife Lorna had been on holiday in Santorini when the fall happened

Paul Young rushed into intensive care after horror fall on luxury Greek holiday

Owen Cooper

Adolescence star Owen Cooper, 15, reveals iconic role he wants to play and how his friends reacted Netflix drama

Israel launched a wave of strikes on Gaza last night - the largest attack since the January ceasefire

'Greatest fear realised': Families of Israeli hostages slam Netanyahu as Gaza strikes put captives 'at grave risk'

A group picture of all the researchers – from various science projects -- at the South African research station, SANAE IV, Antar

Revealed: Why Antarctic scientist 'snapped' on remote base as team begs for rescue after 'assaults and death threats'

Rescue teams at work after the plane crashed into the sea, on Roatan island, Honduras

Plane crash kills seven including popular music star after jet goes down off Honduras coast

The NHS watchdog has called for overweight patients to be weighed each year.

Overweight patients should be weighed every year so doctors can monitor them, says NHS watchdog

Pat McFadden

Pat McFadden defends changes to welfare system as he insists Cabinet 'united' behind plans - despite backlash