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cnn
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Several major news agencies have removed an image distributed by Kensington Palace showing Catherine, Princess of Wales, and her children, saying they believe the photo has been manipulated.
photography is the first officially published image of the princess since undergoing abdominal surgery in January, and comes after weeks of intense public speculation and growing conspiracy theories on social media about his exact whereabouts and health.
The image was released on Sunday with a message from the princess thanking the public for their support as Mother’s Day is commemorated in the United Kingdom.
CNN is reviewing the photo and has contacted Kensington Palace for comment.
The Associated Press noted that “upon closer inspection, it appears the source has manipulated the image.”
Agence France-Presse said it had removed the photo due to “an editorial problem.”
In a note to clients, the agency wrote: “It has come to light that this photograph provided today by Kensington Palace of the Princess of Wales and her children had been altered and was therefore removed from the the AFP”.
Both Reuters and AP pointed to Kate’s daughter Charlotte’s sleeve as an area that showed evidence of tampering.
Reuters said the sleeve was not aligned correctly, suggesting the image had been altered. He said the agency could not immediately determine how, why or who made the modification.
The AP also noted “an inconsistency in the alignment” of the daughter’s hand, saying the image had been manipulated “in a way that did not meet AP’s photographic standards.”
Most photo agencies and news organizations have strict rules against publishing images that have been excessively edited or manipulated. Reuters, for example, says it only allows Photoshop to be used in “very limited” ways, such as cropping or resizing images, or balancing their color.
Removing or adding elements to a photograph is strictly prohibited because it undermines trust in both the image and the credibility of a news organization, even if they are not the source of the changes.
News agencies also often use specialized software review photographs for evidence of tampering. Rapid advances in generative AI in recent years have made it increasingly easier for bad actors to produce convincing fake photos and videos. creating more verification Difficulties for the media.
The removal of the images by major news agencies creates a new public relations headache for the British royal family at a time when it was trying to quell some of the wilder speculation that had exploded online after the surgery. from Kate.
Kensington Palace had said in January that the princess, 42, is He is unlikely to return to public duties until Easter. at the end of March. The palace did not reveal what the surgery was for, but said it was not cancerous.
His long disappearance from the public eye sparked furious online rumors and international media coverage. Some of this calmed down a bit after a photograph surfaced in early March of Kate in a car driven by her mother; She was seen wearing dark sunglasses and sitting in the front passenger seat.
But speculation largely continued online, especially on social media, fueled by other incidents within the royal family, such as Prince William’s departure from a major family gathering earlier this month without public explanation.
The palace faced increasing pressure to share more information about the future queen, without compromising her medical privacy.
In February, the palace took the rare step of countering the rumours, saying it had “made clear in January the timelines for the princess’s recovery and that we would only provide significant updates. “That guideline remains.”
This was breaking news and has been updated.