Kate Middleton’s Car Pic Photographer Denies Editing The Shot Amid Scrutiny

Kate Middleton's car photographer has refuted claims that the shot was edited amid scrutiny from online speculators.

The photo in question was taken while Kate and her husband, Prince William, were seated in the backseat of a car while leaving Windsor Castle.

According to the photographer, the picture was only "cropped and lightened," adding that "nothing has been doctored."

Following the backlash from the edited Mother's Day picture of Kate and her kids, Kensington Palace once again faced scrutiny for a different picture of Kate sitting in a car with her husband, Prince William. William was headed to the service on Commonwealth Day, while Kate was off to a private appointment.

Some online users claimed the shot was "heavily edited as well," citing theories to support their belief. However, the photographer who took the image has come out to defend his work, saying that the pictures were "cropped and lightened," but "nothing has been doctored."

"We don't change our photos in Photoshop other than adjusting the light levels if necessary. Car shots are unpredictable at the best of times, and with some reflection on the glass, it can be difficult," said the photographer, Jim Bennett, who works with Goff Photos, perE! News.

Bennett added that he was surprised to see Kate in the vehicle with Prince William when he took the shot.

He continued, "It wasn't until I checked on the back of the camera to make sure I had a frame of Prince William that I realized there was someone sitting next to him. It turned out to be Catherine!"

Some of the comments online users made about the photo pointed to details that allegedly validated that the picture was heavily edited.

"The car is blue, but William arrived in a black one at the service of Commonwealth Day," one person said.

Another user commented, "The bigger proof that this story is a lie,  is that this car is blue, William arrived at Westminster in a black car."

"The photo w/Kate appears to also be from 2023 not yesterday, but it's heavily edited as well," a third person said, adding that the "bricks" on the wall do not match.

However, some other users said that the photo was not edited and also gave reason to support their claims.

A user remarked, "Nahhh - those windows are tinted. The photo has been edited to show the passengers, and the editing process has changed how the wall appears. Bigger story is why THIS is the photo they released?? The best they can do is one where she's looking away."

The release of the car photo has made many speculate that Kensington Palace is "keen" to move on from the Mother's Day fiasco, having already stated they would not be releasing the unedited version.

Still, they have remained under mounting pressure to drop the original amid experts' claims that Kate's apology was insufficient.

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

Smith added, "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…"

"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," former journalist Michael Cole said. "Otherwise, there is a danger of permanent damage to the credibility of the royal family."

Kate's apology to the public came via a social media post in which she tried to make light of the incident.

"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," she wrote.

Due to the wild conspiracy theories regarding her health and whereabouts, royal fans found it hard to believe Kate's tweet, noting that it was strange for the royal family to make such a mistake with Photoshop.

The Princess of Wales has been away from her royal duties since January after undergoing abdominal surgery at a private hospital.

After the operation, she stayed for two more weeks at the hospital to recuperate before returning to Adelaide Cottage in Windsor.

Kensington Palace has kept quiet about the details of the princess' condition in honor of her decision to keep it private. However, they have revealed that it was not induced by cancer.

The palace also revealed in the initial statement sent in January that Kate would not be partaking in any royal functions until after Easter.