- Kate and William intend to release a photo of Louis for his sixth birthday in April
- No ‘firm decision’ has been made yet on whether Kate will take the photograph
The Prince and Princess of Wales have made no ‘firm decision’ about whether they will hire a professional photographer to mark Prince Louis‘ birthday next month.
William and Kate intend to continue the tradition of releasing photographs marking their children’s birthdays despite the frenzy over the manipulated family picture issued by Kensington Palace last week on Mother’s Day, sources have claimed.
Kate publicly took the blame for the photoshopped image – which was ‘killed’ by six of the world’s top picture agencies over concern that it had been ‘manipulated – and in an apology on social media said: ‘Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing.’
Prince Louis turns six on April 23 and sources close to the couple say no ‘firm decision’ has been taken yet on whether Kate will be behind the camera.
‘They appreciate the public’s love and affection for their children and know there is a public appetite to see them on their birthdays,’ an aide told The Sunday Times.
Similarly, a source close to Kate noted that the couple hope the next photograph will be met with less backlash, adding that all she had intended to do was ‘bring a bit of joy’ and release a reassuring image to thank the public for their ongoing support amid her health battles.
Kate has not made an official public appearance since she underwent major abdominal surgery at the London Clinic on January 16, leading to a growing tsunami of speculation over her unknown health condition.
Rumours about her health only intensified when the Princess publicly took the blame for the family photograph released last week.
But a source close to Kate and William say the couple will disclose more information about her recovery in due course.
The Sunday Times quoted a friend as saying: ‘They will want to be clear and more open, but they’ll do it when they feel ready. I would expect that to be her instinct and it will be her call. They’re not going to be rushed.’
The source speculated that Kate and William, who are ‘at their most open when out interacting with members of the public’, may discuss her ‘recovery out on engagements’.
Kate is not expected to return to frontline duties until after April 17, when her three children go back to Lambrook School, near Ascot after the Easter holidays.
William will also take time away from public duties during the holiday, it is understood.
Concerns that the image had been manipulated were raised over a missing part of Princess Charlotte‘s sleeve and the misaligned edge of her skirt, with other speculation including the positioning of Kate’s zip.
As well as the numerous imperfections in the photoshopped image, viewers also spotted that Kate appeared to not be wearing her wedding ring, which sparked multiple unfounded theories online about the state of her marriage.
Earlier this week, Kate made the unexpected decision to publicly take responsibility of the mishap and issue a personal apology on Instagram: ‘Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing,’ she wrote.
‘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.’
Despite calls for the original to be published, Kensington Palace said it would not be reissuing the unedited photograph taken by William of Kate and her children.
A friend and adviser to the couple said that Kate’s only mistake was not telling her team that she had edited the photos.
‘But she came out and said sorry. The photo was a misstep, even with something as innocent as that you should disclose altering it.’
Another friend insisted that it was just someone trying to project the polished image that the public has come to expect: ‘It’s a photo that she knew everyone would pore over so she pored over it herself — she likes trying to make the family look the best they can.’
A source also claimed William and Kate are ‘shaken and devastated’ at the online speculation about the status marriage.
Now sources within the royal circles are warning of the negative affect rumours may be having on the future Queen as she recovers from her major surgery in January.
One insider said: ‘I worry about all this attention on Catherine. She did not look happy at all in the car on Monday.’
Kate was seen in the backseat of a car with her husband as he left Windsor to travel to London for two public engagements.
The Mail understands she was on route for a ‘private appointment’ and she did not accompany William publicly.
Despite calls for the original image to be published, Kensington Palace insisted it would not be reissuing the unedited photograph of Kate and her children.
It comes after further details emerged about the photo shoot, with William having taken the picture in just a 40-minute window on Friday before the Princess edited it twice in Photoshop to ‘make it the best it can be’.
The Prince of Wales took the picture of his smiling family on a £2,900 Canon camera before Kate made edits to improve the photo ahead of its public release on Instagram on Sunday.
Royal commentator Jennie Bond suggested Kate ‘must feel under intense pressure now whenever she’s going to be seen in public’ after her major surgery in January.
Also rallying round Kate yesterday was royal expert Angela Levin who praised her for being ‘honourable’.
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Natasha Anderson
