Princess Catherine says she manipulated family photo that sparked speculation
CBC
Catherine, Britain's Princess of Wales, issued an apology on social media on Monday for "any confusion" caused by an edited photograph which was issued by her office Kensington Palace on Sunday.
"Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing," said a tweet on the official X account of Catherine and William, Prince of Wales, signed with a C. "I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused."
The Associated Press and other news agencies had retracted the photo of Catherine and children George, Charlotte and Louis, which was issued to mark Mother's Day in Britain.
It was the first official photo of Catherine since her abdominal surgery nearly two months ago, and followed weeks of speculation about her whereabouts. Designed to quell speculation, it has sparked even more conjecture.
The palace said the photo of Catherine in a chair surrounded by her three children was taken earlier in the week in Windsor.
"Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months," Catherine said on social media. "Wishing everyone a Happy Mother's Day."
The Associated Press initially published the photo, which was issued by Kensington Palace. While there was no suggestion the photo was fake, AP retracted it because closer inspection revealed the source had manipulated the image in a way that did not meet AP's photo standards. For instance, the photo shows an inconsistency in the alignment of Princess Charlotte's left hand.
The release of the photo followed weeks of gossip on social media about what had happened to Catherine since she left a hospital Jan. 29 after a nearly two-week stay following planned surgery. She hadn't been seen publicly since Christmas Day.
The royal family has been under more scrutiny than usual in recent weeks, because both Catherine and King Charles III can't carry out their usual public duties due to health issues.
Royal officials say Charles is undergoing treatment for an unspecified form of cancer, which was discovered during treatment for an enlarged prostate. The monarch has cancelled all his public engagements while he receives treatment, though he has been photographed walking to church and meeting privately with government officials and dignitaries.
Catherine, 42, underwent surgery Jan. 16 and her condition and the reason for the surgery have not been revealed, though Kensington Palace said it was not cancer-related.
Although the palace initially said that it would only provide significant updates and that she would not return to royal duties before Easter — March 31 this year — it followed up with a statement last month amid the rumours and conspiracy theories by saying she was doing well and reiterating its previous statement.
"Kensington Palace made it clear in January the timelines of the princess' recovery and we'd only be providing significant updates," the palace said Feb. 29. "That guidance stands."
At the time, royal aides told The Sun newspaper: "We've seen the madness of social media and that is not going to change our strategy. There has been much on social media but the Princess has a right to privacy and asks the public to respect that."
Ousted Syrian president Bashar al-Assad says he had no plans to leave the country after the fall of Damascus a week ago but the Russian military evacuated him after their base in western Syria came under attack.
The death toll in the French territory of Mayotte from Cyclone Chido is "several hundred" and may run into the thousands, the island's top government official told a local broadcaster on Sunday.
In the days since Luigi Mangione was charged with killing the top executive at one of the largest health insurers in America, an untold number of people online have declared him a modern-day hero.
Syrians seeking to chart their own political course, free from outside interference, following the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad may be thwarted by the geopolitical ambitions of their neighbours, who already have a foothold in the country, experts say.
It's hard to envision anyone celebrating the shooting death of a doctor. Or, for that matter, a hospital administrator, a pharma employee, an average U.S. politician or voter.
Every night for half of her life, Ghena Ali Mostafa has spent the moments before sleep envisioning what she'd do first if she ever had the chance to step back into the Syrian home she fled as a girl. She imagined herself laying down and pressing her lips to the ground, and melting into a hug from the grandmother she left behind. She thought about her father, who disappeared when she was 13.
The suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare's CEO struggled with deputies and shouted Tuesday while arriving for a court appearance in Pennsylvania, a day after he was arrested at a McDonald's and charged with murder.
Syria's new interim leader announced on Tuesday he was taking charge of the country as caretaker prime minister with the backing of the former rebels who toppled President Bashar al-Assad three days ago.
The three-starred flag representing Syrian rebel groups was hoisted up a pole atop the Syrian embassy in Moscow on Monday — even as Bashar Al-Assad, Syria's brutal dictator, is believed to be in exile in Russia after President Vladimir Putin granted him and his family asylum.
Among the many moments of celebration across Syria on Sunday, the scene at the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus may be remembered as one of the most significant.
