Kate Middleton 'Shell-shocked' Over Backlash Caused By Her Photoshopped Mother's Day Pic

The Princess of Wales Kate Middleton has reportedly been left "shell-shocked" by the backlash she's faced since her Mother's Day image came under severe scrutiny.

Kate, who has since admitted to being the one who personally edited the photo, has been missing from the public eye following a planned abdominal surgery in January.

Although Kensington Palace stated in a report that the princess will not return to her royal duties until after Easter, royal fans have continued speculating on her whereabouts and health status.

The 42-year-old is currently at the center of a major controversy after her Mother's Day photo got pulled by top photo agencies worldwide due to fears of "manipulation."

Due to this public fallout, sources close to the royals have revealed to the Daily Mail that the princess is "shell-shocked" at the intense adverse reactions.

One of the sources acknowledged that a "mistake" was made but believes it is time for everyone to move on and allow the mother of three to recover from her surgery.

"Everyone, including the Princess, is a bit shell-shocked by what has happened. A mistake was made but she has put her hand up and apologised. It's been very upsetting all around," the source said.

They added, "'But a lot of people feel it is time to acknowledge the error was made in good faith, as was her apology and move on."

After her edited Mother's Day photo was widely criticized, and top photo agencies, such as AP, Getty, and Reuters, pulled it, Kate issued an apology on X (formerly Twitter), noting that she was sorry for causing confusion.

She 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."

Unfortunately, royal fans didn't buy the apology, noting that it was a very strange error.

One person wrote, "I am struggling to believe that the most famous royal family in the world – and the woman who would be queen – fiddled around with Photoshop and put out a family pic (designed to quash rumors about her whereabouts) without anyone in the ranks inspecting it. Nah. Not buying it."

Another said, "Someone in your press office/PR department needs a very constructive 1-2-1 or end-of-year review. This has, in absolutely no way whatsoever, made this bizarre situation any better."

With Kate's apology failing to allay fears and put the matter to rest, experts have stated that the best way to resolve the issue of the Photoshopped image and regain the public's trust is by sharing the unedited Mother's Day photo.

"Kate's statement answers no questions. We can all see the photo has been edited," Graham Smith of the anti-monarchy group Republic stated, per the Daily Mail.

He continued, "The question is why? Why haven't they released the original photo? A statement parsed via the press office which says nothing and explains nothing shows a general disregard for the public…"

Former journalist Michael Cole also noted that "Kensington Palace must now come up with a full and plausible explanation of how and why this cack-handed attempt at media manipulation came about. Otherwise, there is a danger of permanent damage to the credibility of the royal family."

A day after news agencies pulled Kate's Mother's Day image, she and her husband, Prince William, were photographed leaving Windsor Castle.

According to reports, William was headed to Westminster Abbey for the annual Commonwealth Day service while Kate was on her way to a "private appointment."

In the photos, William's face can be clearly seen in the vehicle as he looks downwards. However, Kate's face was not visible as she was photographed looking out the car window.

Naturally, this has also sparked speculation among royal fans, who wonder why Kate's face was not visible in the pictures. This further feeds the gossip that the princess is "fragile" and "frail" after undergoing abdominal surgery.

According to Page Six, sources close to Meghan Markle and Prince Harry blasted the Princess of Wales' Photoshop blunder, noting that the public's reaction would have been far worse if the Sussexes had done the same thing.

An insider who spoke to the news outlet stated, "The same rules do not apply to both couples."

"If Harry and Meghan had ever encountered the same issue, they would have been annihilated," they added.

The insider further noted that the former "Suits" actress' attention to detail is better than Kate's, insisting that Meghan cannot make the same mistake her sister-in-law made.

"This isn't a mistake that Meghan would ever make … she has a keen eye and freakish attention to detail," the insider claimed.