Kensington Palace is facing new questions about image editing after Getty Images added an editor's note to a photo of Queen Elizabeth II taken by Kate Middleton.
Getty said the photo, which was shared by Kensington Palace on the Queen's 97th birthday in April 2023, was 'digitally enhanced' by the royal family.
This is the second photo to raise concerns after major news agencies issued a 'murder notice' over a Mother's Day photo of Middleton and her children last week. Middleton apologized.
Getty told Sky News: “Getty Images can confirm that it has placed an editor’s note on the handout image stating that the image has been digitally enhanced from its source in accordance with our editorial policy.”
Deadline has reached out to the photo agency to share their thoughts.
Queen Elizabeth II's photo was reportedly taken by Middleton, Princess of Wales, at Balmoral in the summer of 2022, just months before the Queen's death.
Phil Chetwynd, global news director at Agence France-Presse (AFP), told the BBC last week that Kensington Palace was no longer a “trusted source” following the controversy over the Mother's Day photo.
“Killing something based on manipulation [is rare. We do it] I wish I did it less often than once a year. “Previously, the ones we killed came from North Korean news agencies or Iranian news agencies,” he said.
Concerns about Queen Elizabeth II's photo coincided with a video showing Middleton undergoing abdominal surgery in January. The Sun and TMZ were among those who posted videos of Middleton and Prince William at Windsor Farm Shop over the weekend.
This follows weeks of speculation on social media about Middleton's health and whereabouts following her hospital procedure earlier this year.