Princess Catherine has taken to social media to issue a rare apology following a Mother’s Day family photo that sparked widespread speculation and controversy.
The image, featuring Catherine alongside her three children – George, Charlotte, and Louis – was shared to social media on Sunday, March 10 only to be swiftly withdrawn by news agencies, including The Associated Press, amid allegations of photo manipulation.
The Palace insisted that the photo, supposedly taken by Prince William himself, was intended to mark Mother’s Day in Britain. However, the alleged manipulation of the image raised eyebrows and led to a violation of news agency photo guidelines.
This particular snapshot marked Princess Catherine’s first official appearance since undergoing abdominal surgery nearly two months ago, putting an end to weeks of speculation and curiosity about her whereabouts.
While the photo was designed to dispel rumours and reassure the public, it seems to have had the opposite effect, fueling further conjecture about the circumstances surrounding its release.
In a rare move, Princess Catherine addressed the controversy directly through a post on her official social media accounts.
“Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing,” she began.
“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.”
This marks the second time Princess Catherine has spoken out following her months-long silence after undergoing abdominal surgery.
In her previous Mother’s Day post, she thanked her supporters for their messages of encouragement as she continues her recovery.
“Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months,” she told followers.
“Wishing everyone a Happy Mother’s Day. C.”
Very little has been said about Catherine’s health woes since Kensington Palace announced her admission to the private London Clinic on Tuesday, January 16 where she remained for 14 days before returning home to recover.
“Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales was admitted to hospital yesterday for planned abdominal surgery. The surgery was successful and it is expected that she will remain in hospital for ten to fourteen days, before returning home to continue her recovery. Based on the current medical advice, she is unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter,” Kensington Palace revealed at the time of her hospitalisation.
“The Princess of Wales appreciates the interest this statement will generate. She hopes that the public will understand her desire to maintain as much normality for her children as possible; and her wish that her personal medical information remains private.
“Kensington Palace will, therefore, only provide updates on Her Royal Highness’ progress when there is significant new information to share.
“The Princess of Wales wishes to apologise to all those concerned for the fact that she has to postpone her upcoming engagements. She looks forward to reinstating as many as possible, as soon as possible.”
Even when Catherine was released from hospital, information about the state of her health and the nature of her surgery was limited.
As speculation ran rife regarding the Princess’ health, the Palace was forced to address rumours recently, stating, “We were very clear from the outset that the Princess of Wales was out until after Easter and Kensington Palace would only be providing updates when something was significant.”
The spokesperson reassured the public that Princess Catherine was “doing well”.
Despite the controversy it caused, Princess Catherine’s heartfelt Mother’s Day message and the accompanying photo will hopefully offer some reassurance to an adoring public that she is on the road to recovery.
– with AP.