Yes, the photo was edited.

In a strange turn of events, Kate Middleton has issued an apology for editing a family photo featuring herself and her three children.

On Monday, the Princess of Wales said she was sorry for "any confusion" over the photo, which was taken by her husband, Prince William to mark Mother's Day in the UK.

"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," she wrote on Instagram and X.

Image: Instagram @princeandprincessofwales.

To bring you up to speed, after months of speculation about the whereabouts of Kate post-abdominal surgery, the Princess of Wales recently spoke for the first time, sharing a wholesome family picture in celebration of Mother's Day in the UK.

"Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months," wrote the Princess on Instagram underneath a photo of herself and her three children, Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5.

"Wishing everyone a Happy Mother’s Day."

The photo, which was taken by Prince William, shows the Princess of Wales dressed casually in a pair of blue jeans and an olive jacket, with her three children surrounding her.

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A post shared by The Prince and Princess of Wales (@princeandprincessofwales)

However, since the post was shared, there has been a wave of speculation around the validity of the portrait — with fans noticing everything from Kate's missing wedding ring (which once belonged to Princess Diana), in last year’s Mother’s Day snap to Charlotte's mysteriously disjointed sleeve and Prince Louis' 'short' index finger.

Portrait photographer Martin Bamford posted the image on X, writing: "Professional photographer here. Look closely at Princess Charlotte’s wrist. This is what happens when you composite layers in Photoshop. I'm not speculating on why the photo was edited like this, but it's weird."

Following on from the bizarre Photoshop rumours, four of the largest photo agencies in the world ended up deleting the image, including AAP, Reuters, AFP and Getty Images.

A 'kill notice' from the Associated Press read: "At closer inspection, it appears that the source has manipulated the image."

People were quick to comment on the social media post and suggest the image looked 'Photoshopped'.

One person wrote: "That looks like an AI photo… not one for the theories either but come on, that’s not a real photo… Idk doesn’t seem real."

"AI is that you?" another person said.

"Are there leaves and green grass this time of year in England?" someone else wrote.

So, what exactly is going on?

In January, it was announced Kate would be spending two weeks in the London Clinic hospital to recover from "planned abdominal surgery", and that she will not be making any public appearances until after Easter.

However, the mystery surrounding her whereabouts has resulted in some wild conspiracy theories, with the royal family going on to address the Kate Middleton speculation in a statement.

"We were very clear from the outset that the Princess of Wales was out until after Easter and Kensington Palace would only be providing updates when something was significant. That guideline stands," a spokesperson said, reiterating that Kate was "doing well."

After being absent from the public eye since Christmas Day, the Princess of Wales was recently spotted in the passenger seat of a car driven by her mother, Carole Middleton.

The annual royal Christmas card also faced Photoshop rumours, after it after it was spotted that Prince Louis had no middle finger. Kensington Palace refused to comment as to whether the image had been altered. 

What do you think of the royal portrait? Share your thoughts with us in the comment section below.

Feature image: Instagram/@princeandprincessofwales.

This story was originally published on March 11, 2023 and since been updated with new information. 

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