Instagram issued the warning after some photo agencies claimed the image in the Princess of Wales' Mother's Day post had been altered.
In the latest social media saga involving the British royal family, Instagram has taken action against a controversial photo on Prince William and Kate Middleton’s official Instagram page.
The image, which was posted last Sunday, depicts Kate smiling alongside her children -- Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis -- and raised concerns over its authenticity.
Despite multiple news outlets' notices to remove the photo due to suspicions of manipulation, the portrait remained on the royal couple's Instagram profile. Instagram has now intervened by placing a warning message beneath the image, cautioning users about its altered nature.
The disclaimer reads, "Altered photo/video. The same altered photo was reviewed by independent fact-checkers in another post." Users who click on the warning are presented with a more detailed pop-up message that reads, "Independent fact-checkers say the photo or image has been edited in a way that could mislead people, but not because it was shown out of context."
This move by Instagram comes amid a flurry of conspiracy theories regarding Kate’s health and whereabouts. Following an announcement by Kensington Palace on Jan. 17 regarding Kate’s planned abdominal surgery and subsequent recovery, speculation has been rife.
Addressing the rumors, a representative for Kate reiterated the palace's stance, emphasizing that significant updates regarding her recovery would be provided as necessary.
In response to the controversy surrounding the manipulated photo, Kate issued a public statement on Monday via the official Instagram account she shares with Prince William.
In her statement, she acknowledged her occasional experimentation with photo editing as an amateur photographer and apologized for any confusion caused by the family photograph.
"Like many amateur photographers, I occasionally experiment with editing. I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused," the statement read.
After the photo of Kate with her children sparked backlash, a source told ET that Kate admitted to editing the picture to apologize and acknowledge any misunderstanding it may have caused.
The source said Kate wanted to be transparent. Since undergoing abdominal surgery in January, Kate has only been seen in public a handful of times.
According to the source, the intention of the photo was to thank the public for their support during her recovery and provide a lovely picture of the children. Kate shares Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis with her husband, Prince William.
A second source notes that the trolling and criticism after her abdominal surgery had gone a bit too far and the statement from the Princess of Wales should now allow people to move on.
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