Kensington Palace is making headlines this evening — but not in the way officials hoped. A photo that was meant to quell conspiracies about Kate Middleton’s absence from public life on health grounds has only spurred further speculation as to what is really going on with the Princess of Wales. The picture showing Kate surrounded by her three young children was released this morning, in a nod to the Cambridge’s annual Mother’s Day tradition. It appeared on William and Kate’s official Instagram page and was used by a number of outlets, including Sky News and the BBC, which excitedly published the ‘first official photo’ of the Princess of Wales since she underwent abdominal surgery in January.

On closer inspection, however, queries were raised about the royal photo. A number of eagle-eyed observers noticed on social media that picture looks doctored, with Prince Louis’s right hand appearing to, er, lack fingers. And now at least three international photo agencies have issued a ‘kill’ order to retract the image from their systems. Associated Press has issued a statement on its website, noting that ‘at closer inspection, it appears that the source has manipulated the image’.

A royal source told the Daily Mail that the photo hadn’t been digitally edited, but this hasn’t convinced the picture agencies. And while Kensington Palace has so far declined to comment, there is only so long it can hold its silence. After weeks of speculation about the Princess’s whereabouts, this latest development will only add to the growing list of #Katespiracy rumours…

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