MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

An “unconvincing picture” and “C message” for several news organizations

The image shows a smiling Kate surrounded by her three children, Prince George, Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte. The photo was supposedly taken by Prince Williams, the heir to the British throne.

DW is reporting that an official photo of Catherine, Britian's Princess of Wales, that the Kensington Palace released on Sunday has been retracted by several news organizations due to alterations that failed to meet editorial standards.

The photo was the first official image of the princess since her abdominal surgery nearly two months ago. Its release came amid intense online speculation about her well-being.

The image shows a smiling Kate surrounded by her three children, Prince George, Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte. The photo was supposedly taken by Prince Williams, the heir to the British throne.

A number of news agencies, including Getty, Reuters, The Associated Press, and Agence France-Presse, later withdrew the photograph citing image manipulation.

The AFP news agency said in a note to clients that it had come to light that the handout photo was “altered and therefore it was withdrawn from AFP systems.”

Similarly, an AP statement reasoned that “the source had manipulated the image in a way that did not meet AP's photo standards.”

The image was intended to celebrate Mother's Day and mark Kate's first public appearance after her hospitalization for the surgery on January 16. It was posted on X, formerly Twitter, with a message from the princess saying, “Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months. Wishing everyone a Happy Mother's Day.”

It was signed “C” for Catherine.

Upon closer examination, Princess Charlotte's left hand appears to be misaligned with the sleeve of her cardigan.

Social media users also pointed out other inconsistencies in the image.

The apparent manipulation has sparked further speculation regarding Kate's health. She has been absent from public royal life since Christmas Day. The 42-year-old princess has been recovering from surgery mainly at her home in Windsor, according to Kensington Palace.