After the allegedly manipulated Mother’s Day photo of Princess Kate and her three children, other royal images are under scrutiny. The photo agency Getty Images has now added a warning to a photo that the palace published in April 2023 on the occasion of the late monarch’s 97th birthday. The picture shows Queen Elizabeth II with ten of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. The picture was taken in August 2022 at Balmoral Castle, a few weeks before the Queen’s death. It was shot: Princess Kate.
“Getty Images has reviewed the image in question and provided an editorial note stating that the original image was digitally edited,” a spokeswoman for the agency told the British newspaper The Guardian. Upon closer inspection of the recording, several striking details became visible. For example, the check pattern on the Queen’s skirt doesn’t fit together properly, and the fabric on the green sofa also looks like it’s been pieced together in some places. There are also discrepancies with Princess Charlotte’s dress and the hair of Savannah Phillips (to the right of the Queen), the daughter of Princess Anne’s son Peter Phillips. There is a black spot between Prince George and the Lady Louise, daughter of Prince Edward, who stands behind him that cannot be explained. The outline of Prince Louis’ head appears strangely soft, and several cables that end abruptly stand out on the floor.
Did the Queen not actually sit with all her grandchildren and great-grandchildren in the end, but rather the photo was put together later? Since the scandal surrounding the Mother’s Day photo, the palace has lost credibility. Princess Kate took responsibility for the faux pas shortly after it was published. “Like many amateur photographers, I sometimes experiment with image editing,” wrote the wife of the heir to the British throne, Prince William, on Instagram. She wanted to “apologize for any confusion” the photo may have caused.
That doesn’t change the fact that several picture agencies have criticized the Mother’s Day photo as manipulated and stopped further distribution. The photo can still be found on Prince William and Princess Kate’s official Instagram account. However, it also came with a warning there. “According to independent fact-checkers, the photo or image may be misleading because it has been edited,” it said in a statement. The Queen’s idyllic family picture can still be seen without a note on the royals’ account.
Quellen: “The Guardian”, “The Telegraph”, “Daily Mail”
