Sometimes a picture is truly worth 1,000 words. Or at least a few words from thousands of people.
After agencies including the Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse pulled a photo Kensington Palace shared March 10 of Kate Middleton with kids Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5, royal expert Omid Scobie weighed in with his snapshot of the situation.
"It's fair to say that most photos released by the offices of public figures have been retouched in some way, so as an isolated incident this is just an unfortunate error," the Finding Freedom author wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter) March 11. "But with the Palace's long history of lying, covering up, and even issuing statements on behalf of family members without their permission (cc: Prince Harry), it's becoming increasingly difficult for the public to believe a word (and now photo) they share."
Omid's missive seemed to reference a statement the palace put out from Prince William and Prince Harry in January 2020 slamming a report that William's "bullying attitude" toward Harry's wife Meghan Markle was part of why the Sussexes were stepping away from the family—one Harry said he never signed off on.
Combine that with Harry's claim in his and Meghan's Netflix series that palace spokespeople "were happy to lie to protect my brother," and, as Omid said, the task for the palace to once again earn the public's trust could be a tough one.
Noted Omid in his March 11 tweet, "Gaining that back at this point is an almost impossible task."
Though that's not to say the royals and their team aren't doing their best to explain the incident.
The original photo shared to her and William's official social media accounts featured Kate with their children in honor of Mother's Day in the U.K. and served as the first official picture of the Princess since she underwent planned abdominal surgery in January.
Hours later, however, agencies pulled it from their databases and issued "kill notices," or advisories to editors and clients to remove or not use a picture.
"The Associated Press initially published the photo, which was issued by Kensington Palace," the news wire said in a statement to NBC News. "The AP later retracted the image because at closer inspection, it appears that the source had manipulated the image in a way that did not meet AP's photo standards. The photo shows an inconsistency in the alignment of Princess Charlotte's left hand."
E! News reached out to Kensington Palace for comment but did not hear back.
Kate, however, did address the issue the following day.
"Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing," she explained on X. "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 though her statement alone is unlikely to do much to quell the now-constant speculation of Kate's well-being following her January procedure, her recovery has remained consistent with the original timeline the palace laid out.
In January, the Palace said Kate is "unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter" per medical advice. Amid the growing chatter, a spokesperson for the Princess of Wales told E! News on Feb. 29, "Kensington Palace made it clear in January the timelines of the princess' recovery and we'd only be providing significant updates. That guidance stands."
As we wait to see when Kate will resume her official duties, keep calm and catch up on all the recent royal happenings.
Returning to Public Duties
On April 26, nearly three months after sharing his cancer diagnosis, Buckingham Palace announced that Charles will return to public-facing duties.
Queen Camilla Attends Royal Maundy Service
The queen consort attended the Royal Maundy Service on March 28 in place of King Charles III, making her the first spouse of the Monarch to continue the ancient tradition.
Kate Middleton Shares Cancer Diagnosis
In a March 22 video message, the Princess of Wales shared that she'd been diagnosed with cancer after undergoing abdominal surgery in January.
"It was thought that my condition was non-cancerous. The surgery was successful," she said before noting that tests after the operation found cancer had been present. "My medical team therefore advised that I should undergo a course of preventative chemotherapy and I am now in the early stages of that treatment."
Kate Middleton Apologizes for Edited Family Photo Controversy
After photo agencies pulled the picture Kensington Palace shared of Kate since having her abdominal surgery on March 10, the Princess of Wales addressed claims the photo was doctored.
"Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing," she tweeted on March 11. "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."
Lady Kitty Spencer Privately Welcomes Baby
Princess Diana's niece celebrated Mother's Day in the U.K. by sharing she and her husband Michael Lewis privately welcomed their first baby.
“It’s the joy of my life to be your mummy, little one. I love you unconditionally," she captioned her March 10 Instagram post. "Happy Mother’s Day to those who celebrate today."
Queen Camilla Takes a Break
After keeping up her full slate of engagements in the wake of her husband's cancer diagnosis, the palace cleared Camilla's schedule.
The Times pointed out March 2 that the 76-year-old didn't have any engagements on her calendar until March 11, when she'd be due at Westminster Abbey to observe Commonwealth Day.
Thomas Kensington Dies at 45
The husband of Lady Gabriella Windsor and ex-boyfriend of Pippa Middleton, was found dead Feb. 25. Days later, a coroner's inquest found that he died by suicide.
King Charles Diagnosed With Cancer
While King Charles III was in the hospital for his benign prostate enlargement procedure, the royal family member was diagnosed with cancer.
"His Majesty has today commenced a schedule of regular treatments, during which time he has been advised by doctors to postpone public-facing duties," Buckingham Palace said Feb. 5. "Throughout this period, His Majesty will continue to undertake State business and official paperwork as usual.The King is grateful to his medical team for their swift intervention, which was made possible thanks to his recent hospital procedure. He remains wholly positive about his treatment and looks forward to returning to full public duty as soon as possible."
Sarah Ferguson Is Diagnosed With a Second Type of Cancer
The Duchess of York's rep said in a statement on Jan. 21 that Sarah was recently diagnosed with malignant melanoma, an aggressive form of skin cancer. Several months prior, she underwent a single mastectomy to treat breast cancer.
Queen Margrethe II of Denmark Abdicates the Throne
On Jan. 14, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark made history as she officially abdicated the throne, handing the crown over to her son, now known as King Frederik the 10th.
Kate Middleton Is Hospitalized
Kensington Palace announced on Jan. 17 that Kate Middleton underwent planned abdominal surgery and was set to remain in the hospital for 10 to 14 days.
"Based on the current medical advice," the Palace said, "she is unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter."
Prince William Adjusting His Schedule
Amid Kate's recovery, Prince William postponed a number of engagements as he supported his family, including the couple's three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
King Charles III Undergoing Treatment
Shortly after Kate's hospitalization was made public, Buckingham Palace shared that Charles "has sought treatment for an enlarged prostate."
"His Majesty's condition is benign and he will attend hospital next week for a corrective procedure," the statement added. "The King’s public engagements will be postponed for a short period of recuperation."
Luxembourg Welcomes a New Baby
Princess Claire and Prince Felix of Luxembourg welcomed son Balthazar Felix Karl on Jan. 7, the first royal baby of the New Year!