Meghan and Harry's photographer releases original pregnancy announcement image following 'doctored' photo claims

13 March 2024, 16:00 | Updated: 13 March 2024, 16:33

Meghan and Harry's photographer has released the couple's original pregnancy announcement image following claims he 'doctored' the image.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were accused of editing the photograph they shared to announce their second pregnancy amid the fallout of Princess Kate's edited Mother's Day image.

It was claimed that the sprawling tree that stretches out around the Sussexes, as Meghan lays her head on Harry's lap, was superimposed into the background of the photograph.

Photographer Misan Harriman has now released the original image following the claims that he has now rubbished. Mr Harriman said all he changed was the "black and white colour grade".

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He said in a video posted earlier on X where he addressed the claims: "I've just got back to reality from the Oscars and unfortunately there's been an article on the Daily Mail saying that I have admitted to doctoring the pregnancy announcement portrait I took of Harry and Meghan.

"Apparently I was switching out trees and meadows and I admitted to this in an episode of a podcast called Private Passions."

He continued: "This is crazy. I was interviewed, I think it was in 2022, by a man called [Michael] Berkeley on Private Passions and we were talking about the technology I used to shoot people during lockdown - many photographers were doing virtual shoots in those days."

He said the host Michael asked him a few "leading questions" which led to the claims he had edited the picture.

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On the original BBC podcast Private Passions, host Micahel Berkeley said: "They weren't actually under a willow tree, but they were lying outside in a meadow, weren't they, Harry and Meghan, when you took the photograph of them?"

Mr Harriman replied: "Hmm, yeah, they were lost in their love at home in their garden, comfortable. It really was a particularly joyous image to celebrate life itself."

Addressing the claims, Mr Harriman said: "So, how that exchange could amount to me admitting to doctoring an image is insidious and really dangerous journalism. Any mention of meadows and willow trees came out of the person doing the interview, not my mouth.

It comes after a photo of the Princess of Wales and her three children released for Mothers' Day was pulled by a series of picture agencies over claims that the image has been doctored.

Sunday's image was the first official photo of Kate since her abdominal surgery earlier this year - but keen eyes spotted parts of the photograph which they say show it has been manipulated.

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

The photo was released in order to attempt to quell conspiracy theories about the Princess's health after her lengthy lay-off following her surgery.