Inside Princess Kate's Photo Controversy

When Princess Kate posted a photo of herself and her three children on Instagram to celebrate Mother's Day in the U.K. on March 10, she inadvertently fanned the flames of rumors about her well-being.

- ALEX ROSS

Shot by her husband, Prince William, 41, at home in Windsor, the photograph in question-her first official one since undergoing abdominal surgery in January—showed a smiling Kate, 42, surrounded by her children, Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5. A source says it was shared “to offer an informal picture of the family together for Mother’s Day,” but hours after it posted, people started questioning its authenticity. Some speculated that it looked edited or even AI-generated, pointing out several inconsistencies, such as the alignment of Charlotte’s left hand, Louis’s sweater pattern and blurring around Kate’s hair.