Harry and Meghan break silence on Kate's Mother's Day photo row

13 March 2024, 17:20 | Updated: 13 March 2024, 18:12

Harry and Meghan have broken their silence on the Princess of Wales' Mother's Day picture controversy - distancing themselves from quotes slamming Kate over the 'manipulated' image.

A spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's Archewell Foundation spoke out to deny that a source close to the couple had made comments about Kate's photoshop controversy to Page Six. 

It comes amid increasing speculation surrounding the Mother's Day image of Kate and her three children.

Kensington Palace released the first official image of Kate since undergoing invasive abdominal surgery. It has since been pulled by four major picture agencies over concerns it had been manipulated.

Speaking to Newsweek today, the Sussexes' spokesperson has now addressed quotes published by Page Six which stated that a source "close to Prince William, Harry and his wife", had not come from inside the Sussexes' camp.

"With respect to Page Six, that did not come from us," the spokesperson told the US outlet.

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It comes after Page Six previously cited their source as saying Kate's edited photo "isn't a mistake that Meghan would ever make" - adding that Duchess of Sussex "has a keen eye and freakish attention to detail".

They also said that Harry and Meghan would be "annihilated" if they ever "encountered the same issue".

"The same rules do not apply to both couples," Page Six's source added.

While the official Archwell Foundation spokesperson has distanced the Sussexes from the quotes, Page Six's source may still have come from someone close to the pair who was not authorised by the pair to speak out.

It comes after Meghan and Harry's photographer spoke out after he was also accused of "doctoring" the couple's official photograph announcing their second pregnancy.

Photographer Misan Harriman released the original image of the couple following the claims that he has now rubbished. Mr Harriman said all he changed was the "black and white colour grade".

Accusers had claimed that a sprawling tree that stretches out around the Sussexes, as Meghan lays her head on Harry's lap, was superimposed into the background of the photograph.

Read More: Kate wanted to ‘come clean immediately’ over Mother’s Day photo edit as she thought ‘honesty was best policy’

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Meanwhile, Kate's Mother's Day picture is still on the Wales' official Instagram page, despite since revealing that the image was manipulated and that she did the editing work on it herself.

The row left Kate 'very sad' as she 'just wanted the picture to be perfect', The Sun reported following the furor.

Royal sources said the Princess of Wales made "minor adjustments" and that Kate and the Prince of Wales wanted to offer an informal picture of the family together for Mother's Day.

"The Wales family spent Mother's Day together and had a wonderful day," a source added.

Kensington Palace said it would not be reissuing the original unedited photograph.