The photo posted by Kate Middleton on Mother’s Day continues to cause a stir after being swiftly unpublished due to editing issues.

“Professional photographer here. Look closely at Princess Charlotte’s wrist. This is what happens when you composite layers in Photoshop. I’m not speculating on why the photo was edited like this, but it’s weird,” portrait photographer Martin Bamford wrote on X.

The Princess took responsibility for the manipulated photo.

“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. C.”, she wrote on her and William’s official X account.

Following this, Kensington Palace confirmed it “would not be reissuing the original unedited photograph of Kate and her children.”

In response, the Associated Press, Reuters, Getty Images, and Agence France-Presse issued “kill notices,” advising the removal or non-use of the specific photo.

“It appears that the source has manipulated the image,” read the notification from the Associated Press.

Additionally, a statement was released, stating, “The Associated Press initially published the photo, which was issued by Kensington Palace. The AP later retracted the image because at closer inspection, it appears that the source had manipulated the image in a way that did not meet AP’s photo standards. The photo shows an inconsistency in the alignment of Princess Charlotte’s left hand.”

Royal expert Katie Nicholl shared insights, highlighting the pressure the Palace would face following the photo issue.

“What’s significant in all of this is that four international picture agencies have withdrawn this image. That’s highly unusual,” Nicholl said. “I can’t recall a time in my nearly 15 years in this job where a royal image has been recalled. So, this situation might compel Kensington Palace to take action.”

Phil Chetwynd, AFP’s global news director, commented on BBC Radio 4’s Media Show, suggesting that Kensington Palace’s credibility as a source has been undermined.

“No, absolutely not. Like with anything, when you’re let down by a source the bar is raised … We sent out notes to all our teams at the moment to be absolutely super more vigilant about the content coming across our desk — even from what we would call trusted sources,” he said, as reported by Deadline.

He added that “k!l! notices” are usually reserved for sources such as North Korea.

“To issue a ‘k!l!’ notice on the basis of manipulation [is rare. We do it] once a year maybe, I hope less. The previous ‘k!l!s’ we’ve had have been from the North Korean news agency or the Iranian news agency,” Chetwynd added.

“One thing that’s really important is you cannot be distorting reality for the public. There’s a question of trust. And the big issue here is one of trust, and the lack of trust and the falling trust of the general public in institutions generally and in the media. And so it’s extremely important that a photo does represent broadly the reality that it’s seen in,” he concluded.

The issue with the edited image only added fuel to the fire because both Kate and the Palace have already been accused of not providing information regarding her health and her whereabouts.

The Sun’s royal photographer, Arthur Edwards, said the Princess of Wales has learned a “tough and very public lesson,” breaking the “golden rule.”

“It’s a golden rule that while you can crop a picture, you never, ever interfere with the image itself. Kate shouldn’t have done it, and she was right to put her hand up and admit to her mistake so quickly,” Edwards said, adding that social media have been overflowing with “disgusting bile and hateful comments about her.”

“Now the conspiracies are flying thick and fast — not that these people need any encouragement. These cheap shots at Kate will be upsetting for her.”

According to some experts, including Edwards, the Palace could have halted the speculations by releasing the unedited version of the photo.

“But of course, this comes amid all the speculation as to what’s happening with Kate, who, bar a brief picture yesterday and last week, none of us has seen since December. So many people — myself included — have been eager for an update on the Princess of Wales’s health since she underwent abdominal surgery in January.”

Edwards added, “A botched attempt at photographic manipulation may have been, but I still think it’s a delightful image. Kate looks radiant and so proud on Mother’s Day, surrounded by her loving kids. It’s full of uplifting love and emotion.”

In an interview with Fox, royal expert Hilary Fordwich said the palace is responsible for what she calls “yet another public relations disaster.”

“The certainty is that a ‘slimmed down monarchy’ means fewer are guiding the royals and those who are aren’t as media-savvy as they need to be,” Fordwich said. “In our fast-paced world with tech-savvy media outlets, the palaces need to hire the best and brightest in such fields.

“While this certainly isn’t ‘business as usual’ nor what we would expect from a royal household… it shows great humility to admit one’s mistakes,” Fordwich continued. “Others might have either remained silent or tried to blame another. Kate issued a straight-up, no-nonsense apology. Many could learn a lesson from such.”

The question that arises is whether the Palace is doing enough to protect Kate Middleton, and according to royal expert and author Tom Bower, they are not.

Bower conveyed to The Sun that there’s a global inclination to derive pleasure from undermining her, which is evident in the absence of professional photography to prevent current mishaps. He emphasized the gravity of her recent operation, asserting the necessity for ample recovery time. Bower criticized Kensington Palace staff for failing to adequately support and shield her from undue pressure to perform.

He suggested that the Palace prioritize Kate’s complete recovery over releasing more images, highlighting the detrimental impact of external forces seeking to destabilize the monarchy and British values. Bower pointed out that certain factions aim to exploit Kate’s vulnerabilities to undermine established traditions.

Kate Middleton addressed lingering conspiracy theories on March 22 through a video, disclosing her ongoing cancer treatment to dispel speculation.