Second photo taken by Princess of Wales found to have been 'digitally enhanced at source'

A second photograph issued by the British royal family has been found to have been "digitally enhanced at source", according to a global picture agency.

"Getty Images can confirm that in accordance with its editorial policy it has placed an editor's note on a handout image stating the image has been digitally enhanced at source," a Getty Images spokesperson tells 9honey.

Taken at Balmoral in August 2022 by the Princess of Wales, the photo features the late Queen Elizabeth II surrounded by her grandchildren – except for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet – and great-grandchildren.

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It was released on April 21, 2023 by Kensington Palace on X (formerly Twitter) to mark what would have been the late monarch's 97th birthday.

It's understood that after Catherine admitted last week she had edited a photo released on Mother's Day in the United Kingdom of herself and her three children – Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, eight, and Prince Louis, five – Getty Images chose to review the August 2022 photo.

Several inconsistencies can be seen upon closer inspection of the photo.

A vertical line on the late Queen's skirt, for example, does not match up; a dark shadow behind Louis' ear is visible; and a similar small black patch can be seen behind the collar of George's shirt.

The photo was released for use until December 2023, and it's understood that prior to this review, Getty was the only agency that retained the image in its library.

Kensington Palace has declined to comment on the matter.

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According to The Telegraph UK, in the photo, there are signs of digital repetition on Mia Tindall's hair.

Getty's move comes after Catherine's Mother's Day family portrait was withdrawn by multiple reputable news agencies worldwide with a 'kill' notice, due to the extent to which it had been manipulated.

Instagram also put a warning on the photo, which was shared to Kensington Palace's official page, reading: "Altered photo/video. The same altered photo was reviewed by independent fact-checkers in another post."

9honey has contacted Getty Images for comment.

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