Kate Middleton’s First Photo Since Abdominal Surgery Retracted Amid Manipulation Concerns

UPDATE: The photo of Kate Middleton and her kids has been removed from this story after it was retracted by Reuters and the Associated Press.

"The Associated Press initially published the photo, which was issued by Kensington Palace," AP said in a statement to NBC News March 10. "The AP later retracted the image because at closer inspection, it appears that the source had manipulated the image in a way that did not meet AP's photo standards. The photo shows an inconsistency in the alignment of Princess Charlotte's left hand."

E! News has reached out to Kensington Palace for comment and has not heard back.

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Kate Middleton has returned to social media.

The Princess of Wales, who underwent abdominal surgery in January, shared a photo of herself smiling alongside kids Prince George, 10, Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5, in honor of U.K.'s Mother's Day.

"Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months," Kate wrote in a message posted to Instagram and X, formerly known as Twitter, March 10. "Wishing everyone a Happy Mother's Day. C."

The photo, which shows the 42-year-old seated in a chair surrounded by her kids, was taken this week by Prince William.

This is the first time Kate has formally been seen since the royal family's Christmas walk in late December, just a few weeks before she was admitted to the hospital.

"The surgery was successful and it is expected that she will remain in hospital for 10 to 14 days, before returning home to continue her recovery," Kensington Palace shared in a Jan. 17 statement. "Based on the current medical advice, she is unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter."

photosKate Middleton & Prince William's Best Moments

At the time, the Palace noted that while Kate "appreciates the interest this statement will generate," she also "hopes that the public will understand her desire to maintain as much normality" for her and William's children as possible.

The statement also specified that updates on Kate would only be shared with the public when "there is significant new information."

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"The Princess of Wales wishes to apologize to all those concerned for the fact that she has to postpone her upcoming engagements," the Palace concluded. "She looks forward to reinstating as many as possible, as soon as possible."

Despite this statement, speculation began to surface about Kate's time out of the public eye. And when William canceled an appearance at godfather King Constantine II of Greece's memorial service in late February due to a "personal matter," it sparked a social media frenzy.

Karwai Tang/WireImage

Though the Palace assured royal fans she was on the mendคำพูดจาก สล็อต888 PG. "Princess of Wales, who is recovering from abdominal surgery," the Palace said in a Feb. 27 statement, "continues to be doing well."

And after a photograph of Kate riding in a car alongside her mom Carole Middleton was taken in early March, William's team addressed the online speculation.

"His focus is on his work," his rep told People March 6, "and not on social media."

To learn more about the latest royal family news, including King Charles III's cancer diagnosis, keep reading…

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