Kate Middleton's Photo Editing Apology and Royal Family Insights

A fleeting image of Kate, Princess of Wales, was released today by the British media following the scandal of the doctored photo published yesterday by Kensington Palace, only to be withdrawn due to the obvious touch-ups detected by both web users and all the major global photojournalistic agencies: touch-ups for which the consort of the heir to the throne William subsequently took responsibility, apologizing in an unusual personal post on X. In the new image, Kate indeed appears almost turned away, next to William, during a car movement in the vicinity of the complex of royal residences surrounding Windsor Castle, where the couple lives with their three children. The shot was taken on the sidelines of a day that then saw William represent the monarchy alongside Queen Camilla, consort of his father Charles III, at the liturgy officiated at Westminster Abbey for Commonwealth Day. A ceremony at which Camilla and William represented King Charles: absent as expected, having cleared his official engagements for the duration of the oncological treatments started after the recent cancer diagnosis, and who limited himself this morning to releasing a written message in which he reiterated thanks for the good wishes received regarding his health and declared himself determined to 'continue to serve' the crown 'to the best of (his) ability' even after therapy. Meanwhile, Kensington Palace has announced that it will not publish the original photo of Kate and her children released yesterday for Mother's Day, after the Princess of Wales publicly took responsibility for having altered it. The Palace has been subjected to increasing pressure to reveal the truth behind the photo, the first released after the surgery months ago in which Kate appears with her three children, after the major photographic agencies in the world had withdrawn it, claiming that the image had been digitally retouched. Kate this morning admitted to having edited the photograph and personally apologized 'for any confusion' it may have caused. In a post published on the X account of the Prince and Princess of Wales, the princess justified herself by saying she did what many amateur photographers do, namely 'a bit of editing'. Royal sources have emphasized that it was 'an amateur family photograph taken by the Prince of Wales' at Windsor last week. According to Kensington Palace, the couple wanted to offer an 'informal' image of the family, united on the occasion of Mother's Day, and the princess made 'small adjustments', as she shared in her statement on social media. A source added: 'The family spent a wonderful day together on Mother's Day'.