Multiple news outlets have received a notice to remove a photo of Princess Kate Middleton hours after it was shared via social media.
Several Associated Press journalists shared screenshots of a “kill notification” to remove any photo of Kate, 42, and her children on Sunday, March 10. Per an image circulating on X, the portrait appeared to have been “manipulated” by the source. No replacement photo will be sent out to outlets in its place.
According to royal expert Omid Scobie, Kensington Palace has not addressed the “kill” notice.
The palace uploaded a photo of Kate cuddling her and Prince William’s three children: Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5. The photo was posted in honor of the U.K.’s Mother’s Day and marked Kate’s public comments since her abdominal surgery.
“Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months,” the Princess of Wales captioned her post, signing it with her first initial. “Wishing everyone a Happy Mother’s Day.”
The caption further noted that William, 41, took the photo earlier this year.
Shortly after Kensington Palace posted the image, eagle-eyed social media users had several qualms about the pics. First, they noticed that Kate did not wear her wedding or engagement ring. However, Town & Country reported that it is not cause for concern and is likely just a result of swelling post-surgery.
Other royal watchers speculated that the photo seemed Photoshopped or the result of Artificial Intelligence intervention based on close-up appearances of the family’s hands and the trim of Charlotte’s sweater.
Kate had been recovering at home following a “planned abdominal surgery” in January, according to official statements from Kensington Palace. She has not made a public appearance since December 2023, leading fans to speculate about the nature of her medical condition and where she’s been recuperating. In talked-about, grainy pics published by TMZ on Monday, March 4, she was seen in the passenger seat of a car with her mother, Carole Middleton, near Windsor. Two days later, William said in a statement that “his focus is on work, no social media.”
“Kensington Palace made it clear in January the timelines of the princess’ recovery and we’d only be providing significant updates,” a spokesperson for Kate told Us in February. “That guidance stands.”
One month earlier, a source exclusively told Us that Kate “may disclose more information” about her surgery “in due course.”
“She’s been resting up and enjoying lots of visits from Prince William and the kids,” the insider said in January.
According to both Kensington Palace and her uncle Gary Goldsmith, the latter via his turn on the U.K.’s Celebrity Big Brother, Kate’s next appearance is set for Easter. (The royals traditionally attend a Sunday morning mass with their kids to celebrate the holiday in April.)
