We have the latest pictures and an update to what is quickly becoming one of the stranger stories of our time.
On Sunday, in honor of Mother’s Day in the United Kingdom, Kate Middleton shared a photo on Instagram of herself and her three children.
Referencing the abdominal surgery she underwent on January 17, the Princess wrote as a caption:
“Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months.”
It’s very safe to assume that this picture release was meant to depict Middleton in a positive and healthy light… considering the rumors that have been swirling around about her condition.
Case in point?
Someone reported that Middleton had been placed in a coma by her doctors two months ago.
Unfortunately for the Royal Family, however, this brand new family portrait has only created a brand new scandal for all involved.
Not long after the photo went viral, you see, reputable news agencies such as Reuters and The Associated Press yanked the image off of their websites… citing manipulation of some kind.
The AP, for example, reported that it 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 photo shows an inconsistency in the alignment of Princess Charlotte’s left hand.”
Agence France-Presse, for its part, said it had withdrawn the photo due to “an editorial issue,” adding on Sunday:
“It has come to light that this handout photo… issued by Kensington Palace today of the Princess of Wales and her kids had been altered and therefore it was withdrawn from AFP systems.”
Such a response has stirred up quite an uproar.
Did the Royal Family really doctor a photograph to make it look like Kate Middleton is on a regular road to a full recovery?
When, in reality, she is struggling in some dire manner?
That’s the concern, and it hasn’t been in assuaged in the wake of Middleton admitting the photo is a fake.
“Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing,” the princess wrote on Twitter on Monday morning. “I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused.”
We really have no idea what is happening here.
Earlier today, though, Middleton was seen in public for just the second time since late December.
She was pictured inside of a black Land Rover to accompany her husband on a ride to Westminster Abbey, where the prince will attend the annual Commonwealth Day service — without her by his side.
The Princess of Wales is not expected to return to her public duties until sometime after Easter.
Back in January, Middleton remained at a London hospital for 12 days after her procedure.
She returned home on January 29 after the palace simply said her procedure was “not cancerous” in nature.
The princess has been recuperating primarily at Adelaide Cottage in the many weeks since, while a follow-up message last month from The Royal Family read as follows:
“Kensington Palace made it clear in January the timelines of the princess’ recovery and we’d only be providing significant updates. That guidance stands.”
Kate Middleton: Latest Pictures Of Princess Confuse Royal Fans was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.