Last week was such a monumental moment in royal history. Kensington Palace issued a mangled, heavily manipulated Frankenphoto as proof of life for the Princess of Wales and all hell broke loose. AFP, AP, Getty and Reuters killed the Mother’s Day photo within twelve hours of its publication. CNN announced a review of all photos issued by Kensington Palace, and the global director of AFP told the BBC that they no longer consider Kensington Palace a “trusted source,” and compared the Frankenphoto to propaganda coming out of Iran and North Korea. This past weekend, Kensington Palace’s reaction was to call all of those media agencies “hypocrites” for killing the manipulated image, because those agencies have published other manipulated photos before! Considering that the palace issued several of those photos, this is an extremely wild defense and one which is still so shocking to me.
Speaking of, the Guardian had a somewhat odd piece about the palace’s history of releasing manipulated photos or even Frankenphotos (images cobbled together from multiple photos). As I said last week, Kensington Palace and Buckingham Palace both have a history of releasing manipulated photos and I even cited some examples in my coverage. The reason why none of those previous photos turned into a major, international fiasco is because they weren’t being used as proof of life for a princess who has been missing for nearly three months. The previous manipulated photos were used as just random royal propaganda. The Guardian is now citing the photo of Queen Elizabeth II with all of her white great-grandchildren, taken the summer QEII passed away (2022) and allegedly taken by Princess Kate. People knew it was a manipulated image at the time, but it wasn’t being offered up as anything other than “see, QEII was a racist who only wanted to spend time with her white great-grandkids, Harry and Meghan’s children weren’t invited!” Well, now the Guardian is admitting it too, that the photo was altered/manipulated:
The Mother’s Day incident must be alarming the relatively new team working for the couple. Prince William has recently appointed Sean Carney in the newly created role of chief executive, while Kate has just finally installed Lieutenant Colonel Tom White as private secretary, after a long gap without one. But perhaps the strangest element of the whole furore is not what the Princess of Wales or her staff at Kensington Palace did, it is the way the outside world has changed. Candid royal snaps issued directly to the press as “handouts” were once a token of authenticity. “In the past it was a way to guarantee a front page picture and present a genuine image of a strong family,” said Suart.
The Observer’s picture desk can show this weekend that rough-edges of the editing process were nothing new. The photograph taken by Catherine at Balmoral and released last year to mark what would have been the 97th birthday of the late Queen bears similar signs of digital alteration. Prince Louis appears to have been moved back into the frame, while locks of a great granddaughter’s hair show telltale repetitions. Back then, though, the image was not urgently “killed” by the leading international photo agencies, like the latest one, because it didn’t matter so much.
Yeah, as I said, we knew when the QEII photo was released that the image had been significantly manipulated, but the reason why the agencies didn’t kill the image is because the message of the photo wasn’t a constitutional issue, but a personal, familial message to snub the Sussexes. This was Kate bullying her niece and nephew and making a posthumous suggestion that QEII only wanted to spend time with her white great-grandchildren. I’m including a tweet below which analyzed all of the “edits” to the photo, and I’m also including some other photos which were likely manipulated.
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 9 places. Now the mass media are reporting about it too.
A little thread👇 pic.twitter.com/Sx9XjOBr1J— Katerina 🇺🇦 (@Le__Katerina) March 17, 2024
Photos courtesy of Kensington Palace, Instar.
-
- North America Rights Only – London, UK -20220517- Queen Elizabeth II At Paddington Station To Mark The Crossrail Project Completion -PICTURED: Queen Elizabeth II -PHOTO by: PA Images/INSTARimages.com Disclaimer: This is an editorial, rights-managed image. Please contact INSTAR Images for licensing fee and rights information at sales@instarimages.com or call +1 212 414 0207. This image may not be published in any way that is, or might be deemed to be, defamatory, libelous, pornographic, or obscene. Please consult our sales department for any clarification needed prior to publication and use. INSTAR Images reserves the right to pursue unauthorized users of this material. If you are in violation of our intellectual property rights or copyright you may be liable for damages, loss of income, any profits you derive from the unauthorized use of this material and, where appropriate, the cost of collection and/or any statutory damages awarded For images containing underage children: Be advised that some Countries may have restricted privacy laws against publishing images of underage children. Inform yourself! Underage children may need to be removed or have their face pixelated before publishing
-
- Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani (Republican of New York, New York) conducts a press conference at Republican National Committee headquarters in Washington, DC on Thursday, November 19, 2020. He is accompanied by Trump Campaign Senior Legal Advisor Jenna Ellis. Giuliani wiped at his brow as the sweat poured down from his forehead. Pictured: Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani BACKGRID USA 19 NOVEMBER 2020 BYLINE MUST READ: MediaPunch / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
-
- Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani (Republican of New York, New York) conducts a press conference at Republican National Committee headquarters in Washington, DC on Thursday, November 19, 2020. He is accompanied by Trump Campaign Senior Legal Advisor Jenna Ellis. Giuliani wiped at his brow as the sweat poured down from his forehead. Pictured: Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani BACKGRID USA 19 NOVEMBER 2020 BYLINE MUST READ: MediaPunch / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
-
- Peter Phillips and his wife Autumn Phillips arrive for Gold Cup day, The Festival at Cheltenham Racecourse 2019, Cheltenham Glos,Image: 535596650, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: WORLD RIGHTS – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Avalon.red – sales@avalon.red London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251 Madrid: +34 91 533 4289, Model Release: no, Credit line: Jules Annan / Avalon
That bus for Can’t is really doing a number on her. Her fine upstanding husband seems to be the driver of said bus but wait I forgot they are all happy as clams I’m told.
The Guardian is not a rag so for them to come out with this is big – Mumbles is being well and truly hung out to dry. Karma has arrived.
Why is she being allowed to do this? So is soo bad at it just like everything else – its done in a half arsed way but yet she is praised for it.
Begs the question – who was moved around to make space for Kate’s kids as it does look like there were added or she did something weird to their photos like cutting them out and then adding them back in.
I have issues with the karma bus coming for K over the Frankenphoto, simply because W took the picture and he and/ or KP were responsible for posting it. There is no proof as far as I’m concerned that K is responsible for that mess, other than she had to pay for it.
Now this picture? Be my guest. However, the queen, BP, and possibly staff are also responsible for this mess.
The issue is offering altered photos, which everyone including news outlets knew were not allowed to be altered.
A non-British organization should go through all of those pictures. Any altered pictures should be labeled as such and removed. And if the British press, which presumably has the best access to the royals and should be in the best position to catch altered photos, is found to constantly print them, then serious questions should be raised about that. Is their news trustworthy?
Kate and the rest should not be allowed to print or publish any altered or airbrushed material from now on, because it’s misleading. They got away with breaking the rules, now they should get to play by strict ones.
ML,
TOTALLY agree. People are talking about Kate and the frankenphoto and the photoshopping as if she were an active, CONSCIOUS participant. She is CLEARLY neither
That’s why I really enjoyed the Daily Shows skit that was as much about the Palace blaming Kate as it was about the Frakenphoto
I don’t get how Wills could’ve taken the photo since it never existed. It’s cobbled together from old photos.
ML, how could ANYONE take the photo when the one released was cobbled together from 3 other photos? I think we have to take that out of the equation, and what’s left is who took all of the photos that were used for the one released. Entirely different story.
My take on it is that she is being blamed because SHE created the Frankenphoto – as she has on numerous occasions in the past, but also decided to lie and claim that it was “taken by William” in order to dampen the speculation about the separation between them. That’s why KP made her put out that “apology”, or “apologised” on her behalf. If you remove William from the equation then it all makes sense. Especially if you factor in the rumours that her prolonged “sick leave” is her way of delaying a separation announcement.
She took a gamble and it backfired in ways she and her enablers had not foreseen. William, who is trying to offload her, was pissed at the lie, but didn’t mind as long as it made him look good. But now that the photo has made the Windsors a laughing stock? He’s siccing his dogs on his “beloved wife”. I suspect that the UK media and quite a few overseas know full well how that compilation came to be released.
In the same way her family’s insistence that she was “the inevitable” during the waiting years won her the ring, she is now painting herself as the “inevitable future queen” so that the serious mistress does not get her hopes up.
So they’re throwing Kate under the bus now, aren’t they?
As much as I don’t care for her, this is disgusting. They’re are once again using a member of the family as a shield for Bill’s shenanigans (for lack of a better word, since I’m quite sure he’s neck deep into shady stuff).
The guardian in particular censored reporting about Colbert’s making fun of Bill and Rose’s affair by editing out Rose’s name, yet they are now happily attacking Kate who is (allegedly) recovering from a serious illness. Shameless “journalism”. Gosh.
Meghan was thrown under the bus for the same but wails here benefitted from it and is still doing. She thought she’ll be safe on the biracial duchess’s back,or worse, her dead body if they had their way. So spare me if I don’t care when she gets a taste of her own medicine.
I agree, and further, the Guardian is one of the few UK newspapers I read, it’s highly creditable and fair. So what, Waity is a useless, dreadful woman who is very clearly in the wrong and more than likely malingering, so I have little empathy for the twit.
I’m old enough to remember when the Queen Mother had hip replacement surgery in her 90’s, and was back performing engagements in a few weeks.
I get what you’re saying, but at the same time, she did the things! She (badly) edited those frankenphotos that are supposed to be historical documents. She willingly participated in the destruction of Meghan’s character and mental health. She married Pegs when she knew he was a philandering assholish bully. She’s benefited from her white woman tears this entire time. She knew the history of other married-ins being thrown to the wolves to protect the heir. She’s a terrible person not an innocent bystander. I don’t know why she would even assume that her raging, man-child husband wouldn’t turn on her to save himself.
We do know she did all of those things for sure—except that she did the Frankenphoto.
@SussexWatcher–all this and more!!! She’s complicit in her own downfall.
Isn’t there a supposed injunction placed on reporting on Rose Hanbury in connection with William. That would explain why the Guardian quickly removed names from their reporting on the Colbert Show.
Will did threaten legal action but everybody backed down before he had to go to court. . Worth noting that the rumors have to be false. And that the U,S. has different libel laws than Britain. In Touch Weekly, an American publication, published the rumors. William went after them to prevent British publications from following suit. The intimidation worked. Until now!!
Isabella, In Touch Weekly is a tabloid.
We all knew the photo was… suspicious back then, and found all the same faults the Guardian listed. Good for them to go public with this analysis though.
Christopher Bouzy, who caught a lot of heat back then, has been vindicated.
The Royal Photographic Society should get rid of Kate as a patron. She’s always been a mediocre photographer at best, with the badly-lit and out-of-focus pics that she took of the kids. Or those awful portraits that she took of the Holocaust survivors. I felt second-hand embarrassment for them.
And it’s been established that she didn’t take the photos for the PP site. Millie Pilkington did those, so the family lied.
If you are going to be photoshopping to this extent, learn to photoshop! Just so lazy.
This is getting interesting, the house of cards are crumbling and I am here for it.
This and the one of QEII and Philip was so obviously photoshopped, I’m not surprised KP thought they could get away with that fake proof of life photo. It HAD been accepted in the past but yes, this time the circumstances were different.
Yes! That one of the two of them standing outside was so obviously terrible.
Wasn’t there another one with princess Beatrice that was really terrible?
I always assumed that one was the DM photo editors doing their thing. So it came from BP that way? Yikes!
More evidence of Keen, the royal racist. If her own child(ren) were spliced into that photo it means she made a conscious and intentional effort to exclude Prince Archie and Princess Lili Diana.
I hope all of her photos of her children and in that book “she” released and everywhere else are retracted or only published with an added note about their falseness. Her photos have always been terrible but if they’re supposed to be used as historical references (her children’s birthday photos – but they are frankenphotos – then the public has the right to know.
That should have been the Guardian story. She photoshopped in all the great grandkids except the mixed race ones. And that’s why they shouldn’t be publishing any manipulated photos, even the ones deemed “unimportant”.
Considering I never really believed she was taking these photos in the first place (much less spending hours photoshopping them), it’s really remarkable how efficiently the one tangible hobby/skill they’ve been able to tie to Kate all these years is now being torn to shreds.
where is that GIF of a woman taking a sip of coffee and then spitting out laughing.
Oh Kate, they are after you. They took down your family’s empire of party supplies and their name dragged through the mud and now you are feeling the tires running over you. BUT the commenters on CB called it, once H&M left the stage, she would be next and so it comes to pass.
Makes one really wonder what is going on.
This photo is why I bring up that she highlights the children’s hair. This is giving aryan nation and was purposefully done to exclude Archie and Lili.
Charlotte had dark brown hair at birth and several years as a toddler. Kate’s hair color. Suddenly she’s a blonde and everyone pretends this is natural, when it’s not possible. What kind of message is this to send to your kids, that they should have blonde hair? This picture proves the intent behind that hair dying, and I’m sorry but it’s nefarious.
Do not come at me about not hurting children, I’m not the one telling my kids they aren’t good enough unless their hair is blonde. All of these kids are attractive on their own.
This☝️. I don’t know about the other kids but I thought Kate’s kids looked rather blonde all of a sudden. I’m glad I’m not the only one who noticed.
Right? It’s impossible to miss the point.
Yup.
I know this pic of the white great grandchildren was used to snub Harry and Meghan, but it’s interesting Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie’s children were excluded as well. Kate/KP has a lot they needs to be called out for. I don’t understand Kate’s popularity in England.
She might not have had B&E’s cooperation or pics of their children to use.
Maybe they were trying to have some believability about who could plausibly have been there at the same time even if they never posed for a photo together.
LMFAO with that picture of Kate and her camera. It’s really like a Greek tragedy where the gods are targeting a person’s flaws with bitter, ironic precision.
That’s actually the best photo of the lot, taken by a real photographer.
Of course they’ve released altered photos before. That’s why they thought they could get away with a week ago (lordy was that only a week ago?) It had never been an issue before and there had never been any pushback from the press or the photo agencies. Was this particular photo released to the photo agencies or just shared on social media? that could explain the lack of pushback as well.
Every picture either of Kate or supposedly taken by Kate will be under heightened scrutiny for a long time to come and KP has no one to blame but themselves for it.
This is where we all say, ‘no sh*t, Sherlock’. Ha! I just noticed this little issue–the little Tindall boy, sitting on his sister’s lap, has his right hand in a bag of crisps or something & the bag has been completing photoshopped to remove any idea of what’s in the bag. At first glance, it’s like his hand is inside an oddly placed patch pocket on his coveralls.
This photo looks totally made up. What’s even more sinister is that Kate allowed the press to use the photo to bash Harry and Meghan. No sympathy for Kate she knew what she was doing.
I’d agree her position as Patron to the photography society is untenable, unfortunately. It is sad as she obviously enjoys her hobby, but when your photos have f’ed things up to the point where your team is now blacklisted with the North Korea & Iranian regimes…
And Photoshop is tricky – I did a basic photo editing course years ago, and I honestly don’t have the patience to do complicated Photoshop.
Surely the art history graduate should know that you don’t mess with historical records.
Between Pinterest, online shopping, Top CEO Zooms and photoshop, no wonder Kate didn’t do visits past a 25 mile radius from Windsor. Exhausting!!
Oh dear, oh dear katey, your gone girl and if you hadn’t been “poorly” you would have been in Royal siberia by now, oh wait Kate you are aren’t you, no Royal protection By the media or your husband, no visits from royal family and your husband is being shunned by them as well, oh dear, never mind, KARMA has decided that you have to pay the piper for what you did to Megan, and for photo shopping all the grandchildren into a picture of the Queen, look at the outline of her on that couch and her cardigan
This is the first time that I considered that the Queen never sat for this photo. She looks so out of place and I find it weird that she is plopped their and none of the kids are interacting with her.
Kate can’t do anything right … like, nothing at all. She has no skills.
I won’t be surprised if someone has already analyzed all of the photos released by the royal family to highlight the alternations made to it and it will soon pop up in another major news publication in the coming days.
They should have expected that people would be doing some digging and it would just proven once again that Kate is a massive bully.
Oh come she did NOT edit those pictures herself. They’re not good for a professional but they’re amazing for a princess-amateur! It makes no sense that she would edit pictures, that she spends her free time doing so or frankly any work for the palace—provide snapshots, maybe, to be edited by a barely proficient staffer. It’s all a character the palace has invented: she’s a photographer, she’s “artsy,” she releases her own family portraits to protect her children, she shares glimpses into their totally “normal” middle class family life. The palace is coasting on her popularity: she’s the only one who could get away with a mess up of this magnitude (poor little sick mom-princess, don’t be mean!). It makes me begin to wonder if she’s been taking the hit for a lot of things, if she’s truly that passive and disinterested, has that little agency. She is KP’s show pony.
As if Kate is spending time editing these photos- why would she? She has a team of people to do these boring jobs for her. I highly doubt she even takes most of the photos that are attributed to her- they just want to keep up this “photographer Kate” narrative.
I’m happy to see this photo again to illustrate 1. how doctored up it is and 2. how it was used to illustrate H & M’s children being excluded. It looks so aryan that we could guess Kate as an advocate for white nationalism, not Meghan.
Also that’s not the Queen’s ‘smile for cameras,’ it looks like a furtive shot when she’s doing something else.