Getty Images has recently made a mind-boggling claim that a photo of the late Queen Elizabeth II with her grandkids and great-grandkids was digitally altered. The photo was taken by the Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton, and released by Kensington Palace in April last year. This wouldn’t be such a controversial claim if it weren’t yet another botched Photoshop job recently published by the Royals.
The scandal surrounding Kate Middleton’s family portrait for Mother’s Day didn’t even get the chance to die down when a new one started brewing. According to The Telegraph, the global photo agency Getty Images has discovered signs of photo editing in Kate Middleton’s shot of Queen Elizabeth II with her grandkids and great-grandchildren. The portrait, taken at Balmoral in August 2022, shortly before Her Majesty’s death, shows the late monarch posing with eight of her twelve grandchildren. Buckingham Palace released the photo on April 21, on the Queen’s 97th birthday.
In the photo, the Queen poses with Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor, James, Earl of Wessex, Lena Tindall, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Isla Phillips, Prince Louis, Mia Tindall, Lucas Tindall, and Savannah Phillips. All the children are wearing sweet smiles as they surround the Queen, who sits between them on the sofa in her beloved home in Aberdeenshire.
However, a closer look at the image reveals several inconsistencies, including a vertical line where the peculiar fabric of the late Queen’s skirt does not match. A dark shadow can be seen behind Prince Louis’ ear, and the same small black spot can be seen behind the collar of Prince George’s shirt. There are also signs of a digital replication of Mia Tindall’s hair. Also, the green sofa appears to have been haphazardly spliced together, and black spots behind Princes George and Louis suggest the area has been edited.
After thoroughly reviewing the image, Getty Images included an editor’s note stating that the original photo was digitally enhanced. Technology director Christopher Boosie first raised suspicions about the portrait last year, saying he believed it had been photoshopped, but for some reason, people in the company didn’t care.
Royal columnist Rebecca English said it would be an even bigger embarrassment for Kate, who was very upset about the implications of her Mother’s Day photo enhancement. When Kensington Palace released Prince William’s photo of the Princess of Wales with her children, it was seen as an attempt to show that all was well with the future Queen. However, a failed Photoshop job led to the public doubting not only the authenticity of the photo but also that Prince William and Kate were doing well in their marriage.
The princess apologized for the photoshop, taking full blame on herself, although some observers said her public relations team should have overseen it. Let’s not forget that last week, Kate came out and announced she’s been fighting the first stages of cancer, so maybe everyone should just chill out.
Do you think these Photoshop fails are a really bad look on the Royal Family, or are they just insignificant distractions?