The Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton, has sparked a flurry of speculation following her first official photograph since her abdominal surgery in December. Since the surgery, there has been minimal communication from the Palace, leading to increasing public scrutiny. Additionally, both Middleton and the Prince of Wales have canceled public engagements, leading to a slew of conspiracy theories concerning Middleton’s health.
Kensington Palace posted a photograph, presumably to demonstrate Middleton’s wellbeing, however, this strategy significantly backfired due to accusations of digital manipulation. Among the many signs cited by thousands of observers to justify these claims include diffuse edges, the absence of Middleton’s wedding ring, strangely crossed fingers, a prominent Adam’s apple on the princess, and green foliage in the backdrop, which is unusual for March.
Several renowned media outlets, including The Associated Press, Reuters, Getty Images, Agence France-Presse, and the Press Association, retracted the photograph. AP went one step further by issuing a “kill notification,” urging their customers to remove the picture due to its alleged manipulation.
Responding to the evolving controversy, Middleton, who has expressed interest in photography, issued a statement saying she occasionally experiments with editing and apologized for any confusion the picture caused. However, the statement failed to dispel doubts and rumors. One theory suggests that the photograph was assembled together from various manipulated or AI-generated images, which is supported by the characteristics of the identified diffuse edges in the photograph.
Consequently, the occurrence raised questions about the Palace’s decision to use a manipulated photograph and how it bypassed an assumed rigorous editorial process amidst increasing conjectures about Middleton’s health and the escalating concerns about the safety and ethics of AI deep fakes. Therefore, whether the intent behind the photograph was in good faith or not, it might not have been a sound move. This incident will likely have a lasting impact on the discussions on digital authenticity and the portrayal of public figures in the media. This development is bound to garner further attention in due course.
