The Associated Press and other news agencies have issued mandatory death threats over the first photo of Duchess Kate published in months, citing concerns that the photo has been manipulated.
A photo released by Kensington Palace on Sunday showed the princess surrounded by her three children while Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, sat in a chair. The photo is said to be of Prince William of Wales and was reportedly taken in Windsor earlier this week.
The photo marks the first time the public has been able to see the princess since she underwent abdominal surgery in January. Her lack of public appearances has given rise to wild conspiracy theories about her whereabouts and raised concerns about her health.
The Associated Press initially published the photo, but later retracted it “after further investigation revealed that the source had manipulated the image in a way that did not meet AP’s photographic standards,” according to the Associated Press.
In describing the apparent manipulation, the Associated Press pointed to “an inconsistency in the position of Princess Charlotte’s left hand.”
The Associated Press was one of several major news organizations that asked news organizations not to publish the images. Getty Images, Reuters and Agence France-Presse (AFP) all issued mandatory death notices for the photo, according to various screenshots and media reports.
“Upon further investigation, it appears that the source manipulated the image,” the official Associated Press death notice said. “Please remove it from all platforms, including social, where it may still appear.”
royal reporter Chris Shipp report AFP news agency cited “editorial issues” with the photo in the takedown notice. AFP ordered the photo “not to be used in any future manner.”
In a statement to The Hill, a Getty Images spokesperson said the photo was identified as “controversial” and was removed.
“Early today, our Picture Desk identified the offending image provided to Getty Images by Kensington Palace. We have confirmed that the offending image has been removed from the site in accordance with our editorial policy.”
Updated at 10:03 p.m.
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