Kate Middleton apologises for posting edited Mother's Day portrait

In a statement, Kate said: "Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing. I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused. I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother’s Day. C."

Kate, 42, has not been seen in public since attending a Christmas Day church service, and underwent abdominal surgery in January, fuelling speculation online about her health.

To dismiss any health rumours, her Kensington Palace office on Sunday shared her photo looking cheerful and in good health with her three children—Princes George and Louis and Princess Charlot.

The photo was said to be taken by her husband Prince William, the heir to the throne after King Charles III.

However, questions were raised about the portrait as discrepancies were pointed over Charlotte's left hand being misaligned with the sleeve of her cardigan and a missing part of her sleeve.

The eight-year-old princess's hair ended abruptly on her shoulder while Kate's zip was lighter than elsewhere.

AFP, Getty, the Associated Press (AP) and Reuters all have policies about distributing manipulated images, and pulled it, despite initially publishing the photograph provided by Kensington Palace.

Britain's domestic Press Association withdrew the image on Monday noting "the absence of clarification" about the image from Kensington Palace.

Within minutes of PA announcing its decision, the palace issued a statement on X (formerly Twitter), signed by "C" for Catherine.

Britain celebrated Mother's Day on Sunday.

Kate, 42, underwent surgery for a non-cancerous condition in January, spending two weeks in the hospital, according to a Reuters report.

She hasn't been publicly seen since then, and Kensington Palace stated that she's not expected to resume official duties until after Easter, which is at the end of this month, it said.