Princess of Wales is 'recovering well and will be back by Easter' despite photo editing storm, royal insiders claim

13 March 2024, 08:44 | Updated: 13 March 2024, 09:17

The Princess of Wales is ‘recovering well’ after surgery and will resume her duties by Easter, royal insiders have claimed.

She is said to be struggling with the fallout of the Mother’s Day photo editing controversy.

She admitted that she personally edited a family photo released by Kensington Palace and issued an apology.

The picture sparked an explosion of conspiracy theories, with people trying to establish to what extent the picture had been edited.

Six of the world's leading picture agencies including the Press Association pulled the photo from their wires and libraries amid concern that the 'source has manipulated the image'.

One royal source told American celebrity news site Page Six “It’s an awful lot to be under all of this public scrutiny when you are recovering from major surgery.”

“Kate is recovering well and she will be back by Easter. She just needs to be left in peace.”

Kensington Palace has insisted it will not be reissuing the unedited photograph of Kate and her children.

Kate said she wanted to try and make it "the best it could be" before its release on Sunday.

It is understood she edited the picture twice and is "very sad" that the picture has sparked a worldwide furore.

Read More: Royals ‘rally around Kate’ as ‘Photogate’ played down by insiders as ‘bump in the road, not an earthquake’

Read More: Kate's Mother's Day picture taken in 40 minute family window and edited twice 'so her children looked good'

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

Royal author Omid Scobie, who is close to Meghan and Harry, said: “It’s becoming increasingly difficult for the public to believe a word (and now photo) they share”.

Today, it emerged William took the picture of his smiling family on a £2,900 Canon camera before Kate made the edits ahead of Sunday's public release.

Aides had spent weeks planning the Instagram release for Mother's Day in a bid to put a stop to the vicious social media speculation about the Princesses health. Comments that have been posted since her surgery in January have deeply upset and angered the couple.

But the plan backfired after six of the world's top picture agencies including the Press Association and Reuters pulled the photo from their wires and libraries amid concern that the "source has manipulated the image".

This prompted Kate to take to X -formerly Twitter - to admit she "edited" the image and apologise for "any confusion" the image caused.

Kate is said to have felt that honesty was "the best policy" and wanted to "own up" to the Photoshop blunder.

Read More: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle pay surprise visit to family of teacher killed in Texas school shooting

Insiders told The Times that the Princess felt "awful" about the picture and had been trying to make it the "best it could be", adding that she was "thinking of her own children when editing the picture, hoping that they looked good for their own sakes".

The row overshadowed yesterday's Coronation Day service at Westminster Abbey, which was being led by Queen Camilla for the first time, accompanied by Prince William, in the King's absence as he undergoes cancer treatment.

His Majesty recorded a video message for the first time instead.