Critics of the royal family aren’t buying that the latest snap of Kate Middleton – released Sunday on Mother’s Day in the UK – is “real.”
The Princess of Wales, 42, was pictured with her three children in the first official photograph released by the palace since she underwent an abdominal surgery.
However, people were quick to suggest the image “looked like AI” or seemed to be “Photoshopped.”
“That looks like an AI photo…not one for the theories either but come on, that’s not a real photo … Idk doesn’t seem real,” one person theorized on Instagram.
“AI is that you?” another chimed in, echoing the sentiment.
“Are there leaves and green grass this time of year in England?” a third person wrote, insinuating the image was an old photo taken prior to the winter.
Others pointed out that the mom of three wasn’t wearing her wedding ring, more than a decade after she and Prince William, 41, said “I do.”
“WHERE’S YOUR RING??!! 💍” one fan commented, while another speculated, “no ring, tree in full bloom in winter, jeans after major abdomial [sic] surgery, face shape completely different from car photo.”
A third follower added, “What is going on??? She’s so weak she can’t stand and to make a public appearance she has had to wrap herself in her children like a blanket She’s frail …what on earth has happened??”
In the snap, Middleton sat in a chair at the family’s home in Windsor, surrounded by her and Prince William’s three kids: Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5.
“Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months,” the St Andrews alum captioned the Instagram post, referencing her lengthy absence from the public eye.
“Wishing everyone a Happy Mother’s Day,” she added, signing off with a cheerful “C.”
Hours later, major photo agencies issued a “kill notice” regarding the new photograph of Middleton and her kids, stating that it had been altered.
The pic was released just a few days after the brunette beauty was photographed in the passenger seat of a black Audi SUV beside her mother, Carole Middleton, as they drove near Windsor Castle.
Prior to that, Middleton had not been seen since Dec. 25, 2023, when she stepped out with her husband and kids for a Christmas Day church service.
Kensington Palace later explained that she had undergone a “planned abdominal surgery” on Jan. 16, 2024.
“The surgery was successful and it is expected that she will remain in hospital for ten to fourteen days, before returning home to continue her recovery,” a spokesperson said in a statement at the time.
