A famous photo of the late Queen Elizabeth II with some of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren “was also Photoshopped”, a picture agency has claimed.
The sweet image was taken at Balmoral in August 2022 – just a few weeks before the late monarch’s death – by the Princess of Wales.
It has now been reviewed by Getty Images after the Princess of Wales admitted to editing a photo of herself and her three children, which was released to the public last week in honour of Mother’s Day.
Buckingham Palace released the image last April to mark what would have been the late Queen’s 97th birthday.
A spokesperson for Getty Images has 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.”
Upon closer inspection some errors in the image include a dark shadow behind Prince Louis’s ear, signs of digital repetition in Mia Tindall’s hair and a vertical line where the tartan in the late Queen’s skirt doesn’t match.
The rare family portrait shows the late Queen surrounded by 10 of the youngest royals.
The late Queen’s grandchildren Lady Louise, 20, and James, 16, are pictured at the back.
In front of them is her great-grandchildren, Lena Tindall, five, Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, eight, Isla Phillips, 11, and Prince Louis, five.
Seated right of the late monarch is 10-year-old Mia Tindall – who is holding her brother, Lucas Tindall, now two.
To the late Queen’s left is Savannah Phillips, 13.
Prince Archie, four, and Princess Lilibet, two – the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s two children – are noticeably absent from the photograph as the family of four didn’t travel back to the UK that summer to spend time on the Scottish estate.
Following growing speculation over the Mother’s Day image’s manipulation, Princess Kate released a statement to the couple’s official X account.
Kate’s apology read: “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.”
A community note a feature on X – has been added to Kensington Palace’s profile, claiming the “digital alterations”.
The note reads: “This image appears to have been digitally altered to give the impression that everyone within it was present at the same time. It is not a photograph of a moment, rather a collage of moments put together to create an illusion of a photograph.”
