First photo of Princess of Wales since her surgery is retracted because image appeared manipulated

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LONDON, March 11, (AP): The first official photo of Kate, the Princess of Wales, since her abdominal surgery nearly two months ago was issued Sunday after weeks of speculation about her whereabouts.
But The Associated Press and other news agencies later retracted it from publication because it appeared to have been manipulated, fueling more conjecture.
The photo of Kate in a chair surrounded by her three children was credited to her husband, William, Prince of Wales and heir to the throne, and was said to have been taken earlier in the week in Windsor.
“Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months,” Kate said on social media. “Wishing everyone a Happy Mother’s Day.”
AP initially published the photo, which was issued by Kensington Palace. While there was no suggestion the photo was fake, AP retracted it because closer inspection revealed the source had manipulated the image in a way that did not meet AP’s photo standards. For instance, the photo shows an inconsistency in the alignment of Princess Charlotte’s left hand.
The Kensington Palace media office is not open on weekends and a voicemail left for a spokesperson was not immediately returned.
The release of the photo followed weeks of gossip on social media about what had happened to Kate since she left a hospital Jan 29 after a nearly two-week stay following planned surgery. She hadn’t been seen publicly since Christmas Day.
The royal family has been under more scrutiny than usual in recent weeks, because both Kate and King Charles III can’t carry out their usual public duties due to health problems.
Royal officials say Charles is undergoing treatment for an unspecified form of cancer, which was discovered during treatment for an enlarged prostate. The monarch has canceled all his public engagements while he receives treatment, though he has been photographed walking to church and meeting privately with government officials and dignitaries.
Kate, 42, underwent surgery Jan 16 and her condition and the reason for the surgery have not been revealed, though Kensington Palace, Prince William and Kate’s office said it was not cancer-related.

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