In a surprising turn of events, Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, has spoken out about the controversial edited Mother’s Day photo. Kensington Palace’s recent actions have done little to quash the rumors surrounding Kate’s recovery from her recent abdominal procedure. However, the palace released an official image on Mother’s Day showing Kate smiling alongside her three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis. This photo marked the first picture of Kate in 76 days.

Strange reports emerged, suggesting that the image might be a fake, leading several photo and news agencies, including the Associated Press and Getty Images, to remove it from their platforms. The rumors gained traction when the Associated Press issued a message stating that they believed the photo had been manipulated. Upon closer inspection, certain details in the picture seemed off, such as an issue with Princess Charlotte’s sleeve cuff and the placement of the zipper on Kate’s jacket.

Now, Kate has addressed the controversy herself, taking to X (formerly Twitter) to admit that she had edited the image. In her statement, she mentioned that like many amateur photographers, she occasionally experiments with editing. She apologized for any confusion the family photograph caused, concluding with well wishes for everyone celebrating Mother’s Day. Kate signed her message casually with “C,” short for Catherine.

Naturally, the internet had various opinions about this unfolding drama. Some expressed their skepticism, believing that the royal family was trying to cover up Kate’s absence with an obviously fake photo. Others, with experience in photography and post-processing, shared their observations of potential edits in the image.

As this strange episode continues to unfold, the question remains: is it harmless gossip or is there something more sinister at play? We would love to hear your thoughts. Let us know in the comments!