Kate Middleton Issues Apology Over 'Edited' Photo As Metadata Reveals Use Of Photoshop

Kate Middleton Mother's Day Photo: An examination of the photo's metadata reveals two distinct timestamps.

Kate Middleton's Mother's Day photo, which led to an uproar on social media on possible "manipulations" done to the image, may have gone through editing twice, which was apparently done by none other than the Princess of Wales herself. She issued an apology on X (formerly Twitter) after details from the photo's metadata surfaced in media reports. 

The metadata analysis of the photo has reportedly uncovered that the image underwent editing at least twice before its publication, as reported by the New York Post.

As mentioned, the Princess of Wales issued an apology for the Photoshop alterations, expressing her regret on the official Prince and Princess of Wales page. In her statement, she shared, "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."

What Did The Metadata Reveal?

According to the New York Post, an examination of the photo's metadata reveals two distinct timestamps. The first timestamp indicates editing at 9:54 pm on Friday, March 8, while the second indicates further alterations at 9:39 am the following morning.

However, the timestamps do not clarify whether the photo was indeed captured last week, as claimed by the royal family upon its release.

Analysis of the metadata also sheds light on the equipment used in capturing the photo, revealing that it was taken with an "EF50mm" lens attached to a Canon SLR-style camera. Furthermore, the editing was conducted using Adobe Photoshop software on an Apple computer.

Following suspicions of manipulation, several major news agencies retracted the photo released by Kensington Palace. Allegations surfaced suggesting that the image had been tampered with. The Associated Press noted upon closer inspection that "the source has manipulated the image," while Agence France-Presse cited "an editorial issue" as grounds for withdrawal.

Amidst the swirling speculations, various theories emerged, with some expressing concerns about Kate's well-being. A source close to the situation shared with the New York Post, "Something is terribly wrong. The idea that Kate could not sit for one photo session tells me this is a much more dire situation than anyone knows."

As the controversy surrounding the photo deepens, questions continue to arise regarding its authenticity and the circumstances surrounding its editing and release.