Several news outlets pulled the image released by Kensington Palace on Sunday, claiming it appeared to be 'manipulated.'
Kate Middleton is clearing the air after the rumor mill once again ran wild over the weekend. On Sunday, the 42-year-old Princess of Wales appeared in a portrait with her three children in honor of Mother's Day in the United Kingdom.
After the image was released, several outlets, including The Associated Press, pulled the photo claiming the image was "manipulated."
"AP initially published the photo, which was issued by Kensington Palace. But AP later retracted the image because at closer inspection, it appeared the source had manipulated the image in a way that did not meet AP's photo standards," the news outlet explained. "The photo shows an inconsistency in the alignment of Princess Charlotte's left hand."
On Monday morning, Kate released a statement via X (formerly Twitter) clarifying the confusion surrounding the image.
"Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing," Kate wrote. "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."
The Palace previously said that Kate's husband, Prince William, took the photo of the princess and their three children, Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5, last week in Windsor, England.
"Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months," Kate wrote in her first statement in months. "Wishing everyone a Happy Mother’s Day. C."
Kate is known for taking a lot of the family's official portraits, but the confusion over the image is only amplifying the rumors surrounding her whereabouts.
In January, the senior royal went in for a "planned abdominal surgery," with the Palace sharing that she would not be returning to her royal duties until after the Easter holiday.
Last week, Kate was seen for the first time since her hospitalization wearing sunglasses while riding in a black SUV driven by her mother, Carole Middleton. An eyewitness told ET at the time that Kate and her mom were spotted in their vehicle around 9 a.m. just outside London. "The Princess was low-key, looking out the window as her mother paid attention to the road," the eyewitness said.
Despite the sighting, many still have questions about Kate's whereabouts and health condition. Amid the speculation, William's spokesperson addressed conspiracy theories in a statement to People. "His focus is on his work and not on social media," the spokesperson told the outlet.
Speculation intensified last month when William chose not to attend the memorial service for his late godfather, King Constantine II, due to a "personal matter," with the Palace adding at the time that Kate was "doing well."
However, after speculation continued to circulate about the mother of three, the palace released a statement reiterating their comments about her condition.
"We gave guidance two days ago that the Princess of Wales continues to be doing well," the statement read. "As we have been clear since our initial statement in January, we shall not be providing a running commentary or providing daily updates."
Additionally, William's father, King Charles III, is dealing with health struggles of his own after being diagnosed with cancer.
Last week was the first time that all four senior royals took a break, as King Charles III's duties were scaled back for cancer treatment and Queen Camilla cleared her calendar of royal duties after taking on extra responsibilities following her husband's health battle.
On Monday, Camilla (who will stand in for Charles) and William will be joined by Princess Anne, Prince Edward and his wife, Sophie, at Westminster Abbey for the annual Commonwealth Day service.
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