Kensington Palace is today facing pressure to speak on Princess Kate's "manipulated" photo.
Top photo agencies have "killed" the Princess of Wales's Mother's Day photo due to allegations that it was "manipulated," raising concerns for Kensington Palace today.
The new family photo featuring Kate, 42, and her three children was the first official image of the Princess of Wales since undergoing stomach surgery in January.
However, it sparked concerns about potential digital altering.
Kensington Palace released this picture on Mother's Day
Kensington Royal / X
Fans identified several details in the picture, ranging from issues with Prince Louis' hands to mismatched clothing patterns.
The "editing errors" included Kate's missing wedding ring, Charlotte's half-missing sleeve and blurred skirt, and the Princess of Wales's misplaced zip.
The image, which the Palace said was taken by Prince William, is still present on their official social media platforms.
The Palace has not yet responded to criticism levelled against it.
Kate had 'planned abdominal surgery' in JanuaryGettyPicture agencies AFP, Getty, Reuters, and AP removed the photograph last night, claiming it might have been altered digitally.
Social media users were quick to point out that Princess Charlotte's knee was "blurry," and her wrist and sleeve of her jumper looked to have been artificially manipulated.
They also noted the corner of Charlotte's skirt, the heel of her right boot, and the hair on her shoulder all seemed to be altered.
Louis appeared to make one of his fingers appear shorter than the others in the picture.
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Social media users also claimed that the youngest son's trousers were digitally altered. They additionally drew attention to the late-autumn leaves on the tree behind the Waleses.
They say that this contradicts the claim that the picture was taken recently.
The absence of an official statement from Kensington Palace has fuelled the baseless claims about the state of Princess Kate's health.
AP issued an alert asking for the picture to be "killed" from their system, saying: "At closer inspection, it appears that the source has manipulated the image."
Kate is not expected to return to any royal duties until after Easter. GettyMeanwhile, AFP wrote: "Mandatory kill. Due to an editorial issue this photo by the Prince of Wales has been withdrawn... and may no longer by used in any manner.
"Please immediately remove it from all your online services, stop using it in any other fashion and delete it from your servers."
Reuters said the picture was being removed from circulation "following a post-publication review".
A spokesperson for PA said it had not killed the picture, but was seeking urgent clarification from Kensington Palace.
Kensington Palace has declined to comment.