Photo of Queen with grandchildren and great-grandchildren was digitally enhanced, says picture agency
A photograph of the late Queen surrounded by her grandchildren and great-grandchildren was manipulated, Getty Images has said.
The leading picture agency said the image, which was taken by the Princess of Wales, was “digitally enhanced at source”.
It comes after Kate admitted to editing a photograph of her and her children.
The photograph of Elizabeth II with the young royals was released on April 21 last year, on what would have been the late monarch’s 97th birthday.
The palace said at the time it was taken by Catherine, the Princess of Wales during a family trip to Balmoral, Aberdeenshire, in summer 2022.
There appear to be small inconsistencies in the image= including around Prince George’s collar and Prince Louis’ left ear, and the pattern on the Queen’s tartan skirt misaligning.
The Queen is joined in the photo by Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis for the group picture, along with Mia, Lucas and Lena Tindall, and Savannah and Isla Phillips.
Standing at the back are the Queen’s grandchildren Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor and James, Earl of Wessex - the son and daughter of the now Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh.
A Getty Images spokesperson said: “Getty Images has reviewed the image in question and placed an editor’s note on it, stating that the image has been digitally enhanced at source.”
It comes after a photograph of the Princess of Wales, surrounded by her children princes George and Louis, and Princess Charlotte, was withdrawn by picture agencies last week.
The photo, reportedly taken at home by Prince William and released by the royal couple on Mothering Sunday, was withdrawn with a rare ‘kill’ notice, because of suspicions it had been manipulated.
Concerns were raised over a missing part of Princess Charlotte’s sleeve and the misaligned edge of her skirt, with other speculation including the positioning of Kate’s zip.
Kate later admitted editing the photograph, saying in an apology posted on X: “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. C”.
Despite calls for the original to be published, Kensington Palace said it would not be reissuing the unedited photograph.
Palace insiders insisted the mistake was an “entirely innocent” attempt to make the family portrait the best it could be, but the Palace has faced growing pressure over the debacle with the controversy branded damaging to the public’s trust in the Royal Family.
The photograph was initially seen as evidence the princess was recovering well from “planned abdominal surgery” she underwent in January, which left her in hospital for nearly two weeks and has seen her withdraw from public duties until Easter.
But news the photo had been doctored instead served to stoke rumours that were already swirling about her health status.
Details of Kate’s condition have been kept private. Kensington Palace previously said only that it was not cancer-related, and that Kate was not expected to return to official duties until after Easter.
At the weekend, Kate was seen out and about for the first time since her surgery and fall-out from the photo scandal.
She was filmed smiling alongside her husband, Prince William, as she shopped at a farm shop near their home in Windsor, with a picture and video published by the Sun.
