Sources close to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have reportedly mocked Kate Middleton‘s Mother’s Day photo after it was revealed that the image was heavily edited and eventually taken down by major photographic news agencies.
Kate has since apologized for “any confusion” the image may have caused, but that hasn’t successfully dissuaded the public from asking for the original photo to be released.
Prince Harry And Meghan Markle Sources Call Out Kate Middleton’s Photoshop
According to Page Six, sources close to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are deriding Kate’s Photoshop blunder after the Princess of Wales shared an edited image to mark Mother’s Day in the U.K.
An insider who spoke to the news outlet described how Harry and Meghan would have been met with stiffer consequences had they been in the Wales family’s shoes, adding that “the same rules do not apply to both couples.”
“If Harry and Meghan had ever encountered the same issue, they would have been annihilated,” the source said.
The tipster scored the former “Suits” actress’ photo awareness high over Kate, insisting that Meghan cannot make the same mistake her sister-in-law made.
“This isn’t a mistake that Meghan would ever make … she has a keen eye and freakish attention to detail,” they added.
Kate Middleton Sparked Controversy With Her Edited Photo
Harry and Meghan sources’ claims come after the Princess of Wales released a photo of her and her kids to celebrate Mother’s Day.
The picture showed Kate posing while sitting, flanked by Princess Charlotte to her left and Prince Louis to her right. Her eldest son, Prince George, stood directly behind her as he wrapped his arms around his mom.
The photo’s metadata indicated that it was hastily edited. The image showed Princess Charlotte missing a portion of her wrist, Kate’s hand missing a wedding ring, and several other questionable details.
The photo was initially published on major platforms, but the world’s leading news agencies, including Reuters and the Associated Press, later warned against its use, telling customers, including newspapers and television stations around the world, to “kill” the photo.
The Princess of Wales Apologized For The ‘Confusion’ She Caused
Kate subsequently took to social media to offer a public apology for the outrage and confusion the photo caused.
“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 X (formerly Twitter).
Sources close to the royal household also defended her claims, insisting that Kate’s photo was just “an amateur, family photograph taken by the Prince of Wales, [William].”
The royal source also confirmed that the Wales only made “minor adjustments” in their effort to offer an “informal” picture of the family together for Mother’s Day.
A Kensington Palace source added, “The Wales family spent Mother’s Day together and had a wonderful day.”
Kate’s uncle, Gary Goldsmith, also threw in a word in her defense, claiming that Prince William and Kate Middleton weren’t really the ones who did the Photoshop.
“Obviously, the family wouldn’t be the ones to do any touch-ups. So if that’s gone through some filter before it’s gone out to the broader world, they wouldn’t be doing photoshopping themselves,” the “Celebrity Big Brother” star said despite his niece admitting she did the “editing” herself.
Kate Middleton’s Photoshop Fail Leads To Outcry For Original
There has been an increased outcry for the original photo to be released, which experts say would be the only solution to the controversy Kate stirred.
“Kate’s statement answers no questions. We can all see the photo has been edited,” Graham Smith of the anti-monarchy group Republic said, per the Daily Mail.
He added, “The question is why? Why haven’t they released the original photo? A statement parsed via the press office which says nothing and explains nothing shows a general disregard for the public.”
“Kensington Palace must now come up with a full and plausible explanation of how and why this cack-handed attempt at media manipulation came about,” former journalist Michael Cole noted. “Otherwise, there is a danger of permanent damage to the credibility of the royal family.”
Her failed photoshop efforts have now intensified rumors online about the true nature of her health scare, with many social media users speculating she might be going through worse than what the palace is saying. It comes amid Kate’s prolonged absence from the public eye as she continues to recover from abdominal surgery.
