PICTURE SAGA
Meghan & Harry wade into Kate’s edited pic saga as team blast ‘Meg would NEVER’- but have they forgotten THAT Xmas card?
Insiders say the Duke and Duchess of Sussex would have been 'annihilated' if they made same mistake
MEGHAN Markle and Prince Harry's team have waded into Princess Kate's edited picture saga to defiantly declare the Sussexes would "never make the same mistake".
But the Duke and Duchess of Sussex had been called out for editing their own image back in 2019, when royal fans spotted odd discrepancies in their Christmas card.
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Princess Kate was forced to publicly apologise yesterday after she admitted to editing a sweet Mother's Day snap of her and Prince William's kids.
The Sun’s picture desk found 12 clues that show likely editing - including a cropped sleeve, mismatched zip and Charlotte's angular skirt.
A source today told Page Six that exiled British royals Harry and Meg would “have been annihilated” if they had handed out secretly Photoshopped images of themselves and their family.
They added: "The same rules do not apply to both couples.
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“This isn’t a mistake that Meghan would ever make… she has a keen eye and freakish attention to detail.”
However, the Sussexes were accused of editing their Christmas card photo with baby Archie in 2019.
Royal fans were quick to question why Meghan's face was tightly in focus, while Harry's was overly blurry despite the fact that they were the same distance from the camera.
One said on social media: "Check out Meghan's face, it is Photoshopped.
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"Her face is clear and everything else is blurred. Archie's is also Photoshopped."
Another slammed: "This is quite possibly the worst Photoshopped picture I have ever seen. And again with the black and white."
Prince William issues urgent statement on environment after brushing off Princess Kate’s Photoshop drama
The Sun lightened up the image, and it appeared to show even more clearly that Meghan's face had been added on.
The Princess of Wales was last night said to be “very sad” that the sweet snap triggered a global furore.
She is believed to have altered it three times on a computer before it was posted on social media on Sunday.
Inspection of the original image revealed it was taken on a Canon camera with a 50mm lens.
It had been edited three times on Adobe Photoshop — once on Friday evening and twice on Saturday.
Experts claim several areas have been altered - ranging from Charlotte’s cuff to even Kate replacing her face.
Kate's been let down, in my opinion.
Rob Jobson
Like any mother, she strived to make the photo the best it could be and never intended for it to become a major controversy.
Picture agencies withdrew, or “killed”, the image when discrepancies were discovered — with the BBC leading bulletins with the row all day yesterday.
Yesterday Kate turned her head from photographers as she left Windsor Castle by car with a pensive William at her side.
Last night Kensington Palace refused to release the original photo, explain which parts had been altered, or say why.
But it did say a single photo was doctored rather than several images combined.
As if to allay wild conspiracy theories about Kate’s health, the Palace added: “The Wales family spent Mother’s Day together and had a wonderful day.”
The Sun's photographer Arthur Edwards has said despite editing, the image was still "delightful".
WHY WERE 'KILL NOTICES' ISSUED?
News agencies ordered a "kill notice" on the picture late Sunday night.
The removal orders were sent after "manipulation" on the image was discovered.
AP's order said the reason for killing the story was: "At closer inspection it appears that the source has manipulated the image."
The order then directs those who have used the photo to remove it from all platforms, including social.
Agence France-Press ordered the "mandatory kill" due to an "editorial issue" and directed that the image may no longer be used.
Reuters said the photo “has been withdrawn following a post publication review.”
Getty Images said: “For editorial reasons, please remove the following image(s) from your system and do not use in any manner.”
Getty said its picture desk "identified a problematic image" provided by the palace and removed it from its site "in accordance with our editorial policy."
PA said: "Like other news agencies, PA Media issued the handout image provided by Kensington Palace of the Princess of Wales and her children in good faith yesterday.
"We became aware of concerns about the image and we carried a report about it last night, and made clear that we were seeking urgent clarification about the image from Kensington Palace.
"In the absence of that clarification, we are killing the image from our picture service."
Each of the news agencies have their own editorial guidelines which govern how they treat images.
AP says that pictures "must always tell the truth" and that it does not alter or manipulate the content of a photograph in any way.
Its guidelines say: "The content of a photograph must not be altered in PhotoShop or by any other means. No element should be digitally added to or subtracted from any photograph."
However, AP says minor adjustments are allowed, they include cropping, colour adjustments, and light adjustments.
He added: "A bodged attempt at photographic manipulation it may have been, but I still think it’s a delightful image.
"Kate looks radiant and so proud on Mother’s Day, surrounded by her loving kids. It’s full of uplifting love and emotion.
"Kate may have tinkered with other parts of the picture but there’s no faking that."
Rob Jobson, author of Our King: Charles III – The Man and the Monarch Revealed, told The Sun it wasn't Kate's fault.
Mr Jobson said "we can't really blame Kate" but added Kensington Palace should have known it "hasn't passed muster".
He added: "Now it hasn't passed that muster, if you like, and that's because it was pretty much an amateur job on doing so.
"So really, there needed to be some advisers around doing that job, making sure that in this modern world of modern communications that you cannot tamper with photographs that are being issued as official photographs.
Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing.
Princess Kate
"It damages the integrity of the organisation that is issuing a photograph."
He added Kate had "done them a favour" by accepting responsibility for the bungle.
"She's probably been let down, in my opinion," he said.
Omid Scobie, a cheerleader for Harry and Meghan, led the criticism, saying: “It’s becoming increasingly difficult for the public to believe a word (and now photo) they share.”
Kate, 42, who is recovering from abdominal surgery, apologised in a statement yesterday morning.
She wrote: “Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing.
“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.”
Kate's photo 'editing' confusion comes as:
- Princess Kate apologises for "confusion" caused by inconsistencies in family image
- Princess Kate is pictured with Prince William leaving Windsor Castle this afternoon in a black Land Rover
- Piers Morgan calls for the Palace to share the unedited photo to quell internet sleuths
- Kate’s uncle Gary Goldsmith gives his verdict on Mother’s Day picture as he speaks out after CBB eviction
- Photo agencies release 'kill notice' on Princess Kate's Mother's Day picture
- Twitter's warning over Princess Kate photo inconsistencies
- King Charles releases video message saying he’ll ‘continue to serve you, to the best of my ability’ amid cancer battle
- The Sun says lay off Kate - she just made a mistake
But Kate received sympathy for fronting up at the first opportunity.
She is understood to have wanted to issue a family photo as she does on Mother’s Day and knew that it would be heavily scrutinised.
The image, with George, 10, Charlotte, eight, and Louis, five, was withdrawn by picture agencies late on Sunday over fears it had been doctored.
Kate was last seen on public duty on Christmas Day.
She went to the London Clinic 8 weeks ago for abdominal surgery.
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The Palace insists she is doing well and not expected back to public duty until April.
Yesterday William attended the Commonwealth Day ceremony at Westminster Abbey while Kate had a private appointment in London.
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