The Associated Press, Reuters, and Agence France-Presse all released kill notifications to media outlets over the photo — released by Kensington Palace on Sunday — announcing that they would no longer be distributing the image.

The AP wrote, “it appears that the source has manipulated the image.” AFP cited an “editorial issue,” while Reuters said the photo was withdrawn after a “post-publication review.”

Following its release, social media was abuzz with sleuths questioning whether the photo was photoshopped or AI-generated. Many were focused on the cuff of Princess Charlotte’s pink cardigan, which appears to disappear in the photo.

Other users pointed out that Middleton was not wearing her wedding ring.

“no rings, kids all have their fingers crossed, weird blurring on charlotte’s cuffs, leaves on the trees despite it being early mach - i’m sorry but they’re just asking for us to go full katespiracy at this point,” one user on X wrote.

  • Mouselemming@sh.itjust.works
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    8 months ago

    Little over-energetic kids do weird finger stuff sometimes when trying to hold still. But the older two also, it does look like something kids might do to protest a sham picture that lies about their mum. The lack of a wedding ring also feels significant.

    • Kraiden@kbin.run
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      8 months ago

      I’m an adult and I still do weird stuff with my fingers. I absolutely cross my fingers like that.

      conspiracy theorists gonna conspiracy I guess

      • FuglyDuck@lemmy.world
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        8 months ago

        My middle finger has never bended in that way, and I thing with the tendons being the way they are, curling your pointer in while crossing your ring would be… impressive…

        I suspect that they used AI to edit out something like a toy or whatever, and failed to notice.

        In any case, fidgety kids is why you take dozens of shots, whoever released that photo wasn’t paying attention

        • ChexMax@lemmy.world
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          8 months ago

          I can do it with both hands. It feels awkward but not really uncomfortable. for whatever that’s worth

        • Nelots@lemm.ee
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          8 months ago

          and I thing with the tendons being the way they are, curling your pointer in while crossing your ring would be… impressive…

          I find it incredibly easy to do. It’s mildly uncomfortable to get my middle finger in that position, but once it’s there, curling my index finger is no harder than usual.

          E: picture of my hand doing the thing

              • Nelots@lemm.ee
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                8 months ago

                Can confirm I can’t see the images on lemm.ee. And your links require people to sign up for your instance to actually view them.

                Hopefully this link works. It does for me at least.

                E: oh, for future reference, I was able to get a working link by going to your instance and clicking Copy Mbin URL instead of original URL

    • KISSmyOS@feddit.de
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      8 months ago

      Yeah, but the ring finger is all wrong. Its base doesn’t line up with the rest of it.