A portrait taken by Kate Middleton, featuring the late Queen Elizabeth II with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, has sparked controversy after being flagged for digital alteration. Released by Buckingham Palace to commemorate what would have been the Queen’s 97th birthday in April 2023, the photo is now under scrutiny nearly a year later, following revelations by Getty Images.
Getty Images disclosed that the image had been digitally enhanced, placing an editor’s note on the photo for clarification. “The image in question has been reviewed and noted for digital enhancement at its source,” stated a spokesperson for Getty Images to The Telegraph.
The Princess of Wales captured this familial moment during a visit to Balmoral, showing the Queen surrounded by William and Kate’s children—Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis—along with other royal youngsters, seated cozily on a green sofa.
The Telegraph reported “several inconsistencies” within the photo, including mismatched tartan patterns on the Queen’s skirt and duplicated aspects of Mia Tindall’s hair, identifying six areas of concern upon closer inspection.
This revelation follows closely on the heels of a separate incident involving a Mother’s Day photo shared by Kate, which experts found contained at least 16 editing errors. Issues with the image included noticeable discrepancies in Princess Charlotte’s hair and apparent airbrushing in Princess Kate’s hair. Kate issued an apology on social media for the edited Mother’s Day photo, acknowledging her experimentation with photo editing and expressing regret for any confusion caused.
Instagram also intervened, marking the Mother’s Day post as “altered” from its original version. Amidst the unfolding photo editing controversies, Prince William demonstrated support for his wife during a recent public appearance, humorously downplaying his own artistic abilities in comparison to Kate and their children.
