The Associated Press, Reuters, and Agence France-Presse all released kill notifications to media outlets over the photo — released by Kensington Palace on Sunday — announcing that they would no longer be distributing the image.
The AP wrote, “it appears that the source has manipulated the image.” AFP cited an “editorial issue,” while Reuters said the photo was withdrawn after a “post-publication review.”
Following its release, social media was abuzz with sleuths questioning whether the photo was photoshopped or AI-generated. Many were focused on the cuff of Princess Charlotte’s pink cardigan, which appears to disappear in the photo.
Other users pointed out that Middleton was not wearing her wedding ring.
“no rings, kids all have their fingers crossed, weird blurring on charlotte’s cuffs, leaves on the trees despite it being early mach - i’m sorry but they’re just asking for us to go full katespiracy at this point,” one user on X wrote.
It is more subtle, but it looks like both of the other two children are crossing fingers as well. The boy in the middle seems to possibly be crossing his middle and ring fingers on his left hand and the girl is definitely crossing the same two fingers on her right hand. And Kate’s blurry hand on the kid’s waist makes little sense when nothing around it is motion blurred, unless, I guess, maybe she was yanking it away at the moment the photo was taken? But it seems like if that was the case the wrinkle/ fold in his shirt right in front of her hand would be moving too and not be as crisp as it is.
The common denominator is the ring finger, and she’s not wearing her ring.
If I may put on mg tinfoil hat for a moment, those kids are obviously trying to tell everyone the person in the photo is not their mother, and is in fact a cloud person from Alpha Centauri.
The only true giveaway is the girl’s left sleeve (our right) which has some erased parts (where it meets the hand). Everything else might be weird but no way to confirm, however that sleeve is 100% edited no doubt.