Another Photo Fiasco: Kate Middleton Accused of Altering Snapshot of Queen Elizabeth With Her Great-Grandchildren

Kate Middleton has found herself in another photo editing scandal after fact checkers noticed alterations were made to a photo capturing the late Queen Elizabeth with her great-grandchildren.

When the image was released in 2023, it was believed that the Princess of Wales took the snapshot, and now, royal watchers wonder why her editing mistakes flew under the radar.

A social media account on X, formerly known as Twitter, wondered if Elizabeth and some of the little ones were edited into the image.

“Did the late Queen ever pose with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren? Seems like no. This photo, taken by Kate Middleton, was edited at least in nine places. Now the mass media are reporting about it, too," another person wrote, while another added, "Who knows how many professional photos from the Firm have been doctored (I suspect more than people realize!)"

"At this rate im not convinced they're even real people anymore," a third person joked.

Despite the controversy surrounding his wife, Prince William recently gushed over her creative skills. OK! previously reported William decorated cookies with children at Shepherd’s Bush on Thursday, March 14, and he couldn't help but bring up Kate's "impressive" talents.

"My wife is the arty one," the Prince of Wales said. "My children are artier than I am."

Hours after making baked goods, William mentioned his spouse at The Diana Awards.

"I know that she would have been honored to see a charity in her name doing such inspirational work to uplift young people from all corners of the globe,'' the future king shared. "She taught me that everyone has the potential to give something back; that everyone in need deserves a supporting hand in life."

"That legacy is something that both Catherine and I have sought to focus on through our work, as have the 50,000 young people who have received a Diana Award over the past 25 years," he added.

As the pair continue to live life as normal, journalists are beginning to wonder if Kate's recent blunder damaged the palace's integrity.

The global news director of Agence France-Presse Phil Chetwynd admitted the palace is no longer a "trusted source" due to Kate's doctored image being sent to the press.

"Like with anything, when you're let down by a source, the bar is raised," Chetwynd said on The Media Show.

Shortly after the world began to nitpick Kate's Instagram post, she admitted to making changes to the picture, but broadcaster Helena Chard doesn't think the mom-of-three is the only person at fault.

"The Princess of Wales released an edited photo with good intentions. We should not blame her for the whole fallout," Chard told an outlet. "The private secretary and Kensington Palace communication team should have advised and protected the Princess of Wales. The photo should not have been released as a news photo."

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PR expert Doug Eldridge doesn't think sharing the original snapshot of Kate and her three kids, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, will restore the public's faith in the monarchy.

"Digitally altering a photo was a perplexing move to begin with, but purportedly using a photo which had already run in commercial magazines is even more bizarre," Eldridge said, referring to the ongoing conspiracy theory that Kate used her Vogue cover instead of posting a recent image.

"There has long been AI software that can detect forgeries in high-priced artwork or edits and augmentations to photographs. That said, digitally altering a photo in this day and age – especially when it's related to a circumstance of such speculation – seems like a shortsighted strategy, at best," he concluded.

The Guardian reported on the 2023 photo of the Queen.