The late Queen Elizabeth II appeared in a manipulated photo with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, which was taken by Kate Middleton. With new evidence of digitally enhanced pictures of the British royal family, concerns about image authenticity continue to grow. Meanwhile, recent sightings of the princess failed to reassure the masses and sparked further controversies.
Highlights
- A family portrait featuring the late Queen Elizabeth II was found to be digitally altered.
- Getty Images confirmed the manipulation after conducting an analysis.
- Recent Kate Middleton disappearance rumors were further fueled by a new poor-quality video.
A family portrait that was taken at the British royal family’s estate in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, in August 2022 showed the late monarch posing with eight of her 12 grandchildren and was reportedly taken just weeks before the queen’s death by the 42-year-old princess.
The rare family photo of Elizabeth II depicted her on a green sofa in a cluttered sitting room, dressed in off-duty attire and looking directly at the camera.
The photograph was released by Buckingham Palace on April 21, 2023, to mark what would have been her 97th birthday. However, global picture agency Getty Images has now reportedly said that the picture was altered.
Getty reviewed the portrait after the Princess of Wales recently admitted that she edited a Mother’s Day picture of herself and her three children, The Telegraph reported on Monday (March 18).
Concerns over image authenticity grew as a manipulated photo of the late Queen Elizabeth II, taken by Kate Middleton, emerged
Image credits: KensingtonRoyals
A spokesperson for Getty told the British daily conservative newspaper: “Getty Images has reviewed the image in question and placed an editor’s note on it, stating that the image has been digitally enhanced at source.”
Several inconsistencies were pointed out in the photograph, such as a vertical line where the tartan of the late Queen’s skirt did not match.
Additionally, Getty found a dark shadow behind Prince Louis’s ear and a similar small black patch behind Prince George’s shirt collar. Furthermore, there were signs of digital repetition of Mia Tindall’s hair.
As per The Telegraph, Getty is understood to be the only agency that retains the image in its library. Other news and picture agencies reportedly no longer hold it, as it was released for use until December 2023.
Image credits: KensingtonRoyals
A community note on X (formerly Twitter) has since been added to the image on Kensington Palace’s profile, stating: “This image appears to have been digitally altered to give the impression that everyone within it was present at the same time.
“It is not a photograph of a moment, rather a collage of moments put together to create an illusion of a photograph.”
Getty’s image analysis follows recent controversies surrounding Kate’s speculated disappearance and her recent admission that she altered a photo of herself and her children for Mother’s Day.
Getty analyzed the image and concluded there had been digital alterations
Image credits: KensingtonRoyals
On March 10, Kensington Palace, where Prince William and Kate have resided since 2017, released the Mother’s Day photo in question, which featured the Princess of Wales seemingly sitting in a chair while smiling at the camera as her three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, stood around her.
The photo was allegedly taken by “The Prince of Wales” at the family’s home in Windsor, according to the palace, as per the family’s official social media pages, including Instagram.
News agencies globally, such as the Associated Press (AP), Getty Images, Reuters, and the Agence France-Presse (AFP), subsequently withdrew the image from their archives due to concerns about photo manipulation.
The following day, in a rare personal post on X, signed “C” to denote it was from Catherine (Kate), the princess admitted: "Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing."
Image credits: KensingtonRoyals
“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”
And in more recent news, seemingly debunking Kate’s disappearance, TMZ just released footage that was taken of the princess and Prince William on Saturday (March 16) while they were visiting the Windsor Farm Shop located about a mile from their home in Windsor.
Despite The Sun reporting that eyewitnesses saw the couple out, reactions on social media have continuously perpetuated theories surrounding the princess’ rumored disappearance, with many pointing to the video’s poor quality.
Several inconsistencies were pointed out in the picture, such as a vertical line where the tartan of the late Queen’s skirt did not match
Image credits: KensingtonRoyals
Taking to X, a person wrote: "The video was likely taken in previous yrs, before the surgery, & Kensington Palace ordered it released in conspiracy w/tabloids to end the speculation about Kate’s disposition."
"There are Xmas decors in the background & the sheds are up until December. The video backfired."
Another X user commented: “LOL. The Zapruder film and scenes from Loch Ness were better.
“In a nation of iPhones you can make movies on and paparazzi behind every bush, this was the only video in all of the UK of an alleged sighting of Kate Middleton who we were told had abdominal surgery yet is in a literal gallop here.”
A separate individual chimed in: “This is clearly NOT the same person.
“Different nose, different jawline and looks considerably younger.
“They are taking the p**s now.”
