The agency responsible for an image of Princess Catherine earlier this week is responding to allegations of photoshopping the snap, as conspiracy theories abound about the royal’s recovery from recent abdominal surgery.
Goff Photos, which photographed Kate Middleton, 42, and Prince William, 41, in a Range Rover on Monday, told E! News that “nothing has been doctored.”
The company did note that the images were not completely organic, as they “have been cropped and lightened,” but insisted that is the extent of the editing.
Goff’s remarks come on the heels of Kensington Palace sharing its first official photo of Middleton since a January announcement that she had undergone a “successful” previously planned abdominal surgery and would be out of commission until after Easter.
On Sunday, which was Mother’s Day in the U.K., the palace posted an image of the princess embracing her three children: Princes George and Louis, and Princess Charlotte.
The internet was rife with speculation as The Associated Press issued a “kill order” on running the image after “closer inspections.” Other outlets followed suit shortly thereafter.
Kate took responsibility for the doctored photo on social media on Monday, citing her passion for “amateur” photography and her penchant for “occasionally experiment[ing] with editing.”
Before March 4, Kate had not been seen in public since Christmas. Early last week, she was photographed wearing sunglasses and riding shotgun in an Audi driven by her mother.
Despite the palace insisting she was “doing well,” the internet thought otherwise in Kate’s absence. This speculation intensified when Prince William, 41, pulled out of the memorial service for his godfather, King Constantine of Greece, on Feb. 27. The 41-year-old heir to the throne at the time cited personal reasons for his absence.
Two days later, Kensington issued a rare but emphatic response to the theories about Kate — a common one suggesting she was comatose due to surgery complications.
“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,” a palace spokesperson told People at the time.
Concern about Kate has also been attributed to the stark contrast in her recovery to that of her father-in-law. While King Charles has kept a low profile since announcing his cancer diagnosis last month, the 75-year-old monarch has been seen amid his ongoing treatment.
A palace insider told People last week that the “radio silence” regarding the princess’ condition has extended to the palace itself.
“Everybody feels unsettled by uncertainty, and there is too much uncertainty that is surrounding the monarchy right now,” said royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith.
