Catherine, Princess of Wales, apologised in March 2024 after major photo agencies issued a rare "kill notice" for her Mother's Day portrait, admitting she had edited the image herself — an episode that became known as "Kategate" and fuelled weeks of wild global speculation.
On March 10, on the occasion of Mother's Day in the United Kingdom, Catherine released a photograph of herself with her three children — Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5 — said to have been taken by Prince William at Windsor Castle. The caption read: "Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months. Wishing everyone a Happy Mother's Day." It was signed "C" for Catherine.
Within hours, eagle-eyed viewers spotted inconsistencies: a distorted area near Charlotte's sleeve, patchy window panes, a window with no reflection, and Kate's zip stopping part way down her jacket. Photo agencies including Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, Getty and Reuters issued a "kill notice" to media around the world and removed it from their photo libraries. "At closer inspection it appears that the source has manipulated the image," the AP said in its advisory.
The following day Catherine admitted to having personally edited the photograph, and apologised for any confusion: "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."
The photograph had been the first official image of Kate since her planned abdominal surgery in mid-January, and the public absence of Catherine following the surgery had already received extensive international media coverage. The editing admission became the catalyst for a surge in coverage and speculation, dominating global trends on social media, with viewers of BBC News accusing their coverage of being excessive and sensationalist.
Commentators noted the irony that the palace's attempt to reassure the public had achieved the opposite, with conspiracy theories flourishing for weeks. The frenzy only ended later that month when Catherine revealed she had received a cancer diagnosis and was undergoing treatment — news that prompted widespread contrition among those who had indulged the speculation. She completed treatment in September and her cancer was ruled to be in remission in January.
The following year, for Mother's Day 2025, Kate opted to share an emotional video about nature instead of a family photo — a quiet acknowledgement that the Photoshop mishap had permanently changed how the palace handles its imagery.