The photo agency that captured Kate Middleton and Prince William riding in a car together on March 11 responded to allegations that the image was “doctored,” E! News reports.
The Princess of Wales who has been recovering from abdominal surgery since January, joined her husband Prince William for a car ride on March 11, when the couple were photographed in the backseat of a Range Rover leaving Windsor Castle.
However, after Kate recently confessed to digitally editing a different photo of herself, social media users have been questioning if the royals’ car picture could also be Photoshopped. Some alleged the bricks “do not match” in the background, while others said her hairstyle looked similar to her appearance at the 100th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme in 2016, when she wore a black pillbox hat.
But amid the speculation, the photo agency Goff Photos that captured William and Kate in the Range Rover stated that “have been cropped and lightened” but “nothing has been doctored.”
In January, Kensington Palace announced Kate had been hospitalized for a pre-planned surgery. Since then, the 42-year-old has been taking time out of the spotlight to recover, only returning to social media on March 10 in honor of Mother’s Day in the U.K.
For the occasion, she posted a photo of herself with her kids Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5, posing on an outdoor patio. But after photo agencies pulled the image for being “manipulated,” Kate admitted in a social media statement that she had altered the photo.
“Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing,” read a message that Kensington Palace posted on X. “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.”
Although concern grows for Kate, her team has assured the public that she’s doing “well.”
“Kensington Palace made it clear in January the timelines of the princess’ recovery and we’d only be providing significant updates,” a spokesperson for Kate told E! News Feb. 29. “That guidance stands.”
Meanwhile, William’s rep shared that the Princes of Wales is not paying attention to any online rumors about his wife’s health.
“His focus is on his work,” his spokesperson told People March 6, “and not on social media.”