The Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton, issued an apology on social media for editing a family photo released by Kensington Palace to mark Mother's Day in the U.K. The photo, which was the first image of Kate released since her abdominal surgery two months ago, showed her with her three children - Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis. The picture, taken by her husband Prince William, was intended to be an informal snapshot of the family spending Mother's Day together. However, major global news photo agencies such as Reuters, the Associated Press, Getty, and AFP, removed the image from distribution due to apparent manipulations. The AP stated that the photo did not meet their standards, with inconsistencies in the alignment of Princess Charlotte's hand and apparent edits around the children's hair and hands. Online commentators also noted blurring and discrepancies in the image. The Press Association news agency of Britain also dropped the image after receiving no clarification from Kensington Palace. Kate Middleton, in her apology, attributed the editing to amateur experimentation and expressed hopes that everyone had a happy Mother's Day. The photo's release was meant to dispel rumors about Kate's health but instead sparked new speculation. Social media users pointed out various anomalies in the image, such as missing parts of Charlotte's arm and the absence of Middleton's wedding ring. The controversy surrounding the photo has raised questions about the authenticity of images released by the royal family during Kate's recovery from surgery.