What is a Kill Notification? AP, Reuters, and other media agencies retract Kate Middleton's photo over manipulation concerns

Four major photo agencies have issued a "kill notification" for the latest photo of Kate Middleton posted on X on March 10, 2023. According to the BBC, a Kill Notification is an industry term used by photo agencies and news publications to make a retraction. It is an advisory to remove or not use a photo.

The Mother's Day photo, which showed Kate Middleton sitting on a chair surrounded by her three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, was retracted by the Associated Press (AP), AFP, Reuters, and Getty, citing concerns of manipulation and digital alteration.

The image, reportedly taken by Prince William at Windsor, is the first photo officially released by Kensington Palace following Kate Middleton's abdominal surgery on January 16.

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Kate Middleton's latest photo retracted as photo agencies issue Kill Notification

On Sunday, Kensington Palace posted a photo of Kate Middleton and her children with the caption:

"Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months. Wishing everyone a Happy Mother's Day. C"

According to the BBC, the photo was supposedly released to quench the subsequent conspiracy theories that snowballed due to the lack of substantial details about her well-being following her surgery. Instead, the picture had the opposite effect, as internet sleuths branded it as photoshopped.

The left sleeve on Princess Charlotte's jumper had some inconsistencies, which were quickly spotted by eagle-eyed fans, along with blurred edges and misshapen body parts like Prince Louis' fingers. Several netizens also noticed that Kate Middleton was not wearing her wedding ring.

According to NBC News, the photo was widely circulated and used by several news sites after its posting. But, later in the evening, AP issued a Kill Notification, releasing a statement:

“The Associated Press initially published the photo, which was issued by Kensington Palace. The AP later retracted the image because at closer inspection, it appears that the source had manipulated the image in a way that did not meet AP’s photo standards. The photo shows an inconsistency in the alignment of Princess Charlotte’s left hand.”

Following this, Reuters confirmed that it had retracted the image from its library "following a post-publication review." AFP then issued a "mandatory kill notice" citing an "editorial issue" on its site, Business Insider reported.

Getty Images was the fourth photo agency to recant the photo, claiming that its picture desk "identified a problematic image" and removed it from the website to stay "in accordance with our editorial policy." The website stated:

“For editorial reasons, please remove the following image(s) from your system and do not use in any manner.”

As per the BBC, most photo agencies have very stringent rules when it comes to digitally altered photos, only using them when provided with a proper explanation from the source. AP's rules allow only "minor adjustments" to photos that are limited to the removal of dust on camera sensors.

While the four major photo agencies have retracted the photo, PA Media, the UK's biggest news agency, is still using the picture. However, it claims to have reached out to Kensington Palace for urgent clarification. Kensington Palace had denied to comment at this point in time.

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A bevy of conspiracy theories has followed Kate Middleton since the announcement of her planned abdominal surgery. The hashtag #WhereIsKate trends on X occasionally, with people concerned that there has been no official sighting of the Princess since the Christmas service in 2023.

Kate Middleton's Mother's Day picture has only seemed to stir the pot, with more theories coming her way since the photo's release. X has also issued a Community Notes under the original photo, believing it to be "digitally altered."