Kate Middleton was pictured leaving Windsor Castle in a car with Prince William on Monday, just hours after she issued an apology for releasing an edited photo that caused wire services like the Associated Press to issue a rare “photo kill.”
Monday’s photo, which captured the Princess of Wales through a car window from a distance, came as a palace source said she was due to go to a private appointment. William, who was photographed next to her, attended the Commonwealth Day service in London later Monday.
The oft-photographed Middleton, 42, has been out of the public eye since Jan. 16 as she’s recovered from abdominal surgery—something that’s led to online speculation about her well-being. That gossip was sent into overdrive Sunday after the palace released a clearly edited photo of her and her three children to celebrate Britain’s Mother’s Day.
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That “manipulated” photo, as the Associated Press described it, was the first official picture of the princess to be released since her surgery. Middleton said Monday that it was she who did the editing.
“Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing,” she wrote. “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 addition to the Associated Press, the photo was also pulled by Reuters, Agence France-Presse (AFP), and Getty Images, all of which issued urgent advisories calling on media organizations to remove the photo from their articles.
Among the inconsistencies spotted in the photo included a sloppy photoshopping error on the sleeve of Princess Charlotte’s cardigan.
Combined with Kate’s decision not to wear her wedding band, the snap sent the palace into a new stratosphere of controversy. It also appears to have lowered public trust in the royal family—at least by the media organizations that regularly cover their every move.
Prince William and Kate’s press team were initially silent on the matter Sunday night.
An official source told The Daily Beast on Monday that the “amateur” photo was taken by Prince William as the family celebrated Mother’s Day.
“The Princess has shared a statement on social media,” said a statement from the source. “This was an amateur, family photograph taken by the Prince of Wales. Their Royal Highnesses wanted to offer an informal picture of the family together for Mother’s Day. The Princess made minor adjustments as she shared in her statement on social media. The Wales family spent Mother’s Day together and had a wonderful day.”
Kate is not due back for public engagements until Easter, which falls on March 31 this year.
