Another key royal photo has been flagged for 'manipulation'

In the wake of the Princess of Wales' Mother's Day photo editing controversy, Kate Middleton and Prince William are reportedly 'deeply upset' by the backlash and Kate could publicly address the situation given the intense interest in her health and recovery. When photo agencies such as Associated Press and Reuters issued a kill notice for the Wales' photo, it was then announced that CNN would be putting all past content issued by Kensington Palace under review. 

Although Kate issued an apology for 'any confusion' it caused, it did little to dampen speculation or quieten what the Palace has labelled 'wild conspiracy theories'. In fact the royal scrutiny only intensified and some social media users turned their attention to another royal photo, claiming it had the hallmarks of an edited image.

The picture in question was of the late Queen Elizabeth II, surrounded by most of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren at Balmoral. The photo was said to have been taken in 2022 and was shared by the Palace to mark what would have been the Queen's 97th birthday last year, and shows the monarch with William and Kate's three children - Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis - as well as Mia, Lucas and Lena Tindall, Savannah and Isla Phillips, Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor, and James, Earl of Wessex. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's two children, Archie and Lilibet, were not included in the photo.

Many had claimed that there were distinct signs of photo editing, and later various publications including the Observer, Telegraph and Sky News noted a number of inconsistencies in the picture, from uneven skirt patterns, hair repetition, and light lines and shading.

Despite being in the public domain for a year, Getty Images confirmed this week that they were issuing an editor's note on the photo. In a statement the company said: "Getty Images has reviewed the image in question and placed an editor’s note on it, stating that the image has been digitally enhanced at source."

The Palace has not commented on any photo editing accusations.