The modified official photo of Catherine, Princess of Wales, and her children did not respect "the ethical standards of the profession", said Agence France-Presse (AFP), which withdrew the portrait.
The global news agency was one of several leading outlets, including the Associated Press, Reuters, Getty and Britain's domestic Press Association to "kill" the image, withdrawing it from distribution to clients.
- Key problems -
Analysis of the Mother's Day image, released on Sunday by Kate's Kensington Palace office, highlighted "several inconsistencies in alignments", AFP said.
They include:
- Misalignment of Kate's zip, and a dark visible line below
- A missing part of Princess Charlotte's sleeve
- Charlotte's hair ended abruptly on her shoulder.
The image said to have been taken by Kate's husband and heir to the throne Prince William last week, was released after weeks of rumours about her health after she underwent abdominal surgery in January.
The 42-year-old princess has not been seen in public since a Christmas Day church service on December 25 and is not expected to make a return to official royal duties until at least next month.
- AFP response to photo -
Eric Baradat, AFP's deputy news director in charge of photos, said the agency's photo editors in London consulted with their counterparts at other news agencies on Sunday about alterations to the photo.
They decided that the modifications were "in violation of the ethical standards of the profession", he said.
"As a result, they collectively agreed to remove the photo from their distribution platforms," Baradat added.
"From the outset, AFP had duly noted that it was distributing a photo provided by a third-party institution.
"AFP felt compelled to remove the photo to preserve the trust of its subscribers and maintain transparency to the public, especially in a society where manipulated images are prevalent."
Keen photographer Kate has taken several official portraits of her family that were distributed by the palace to media outlets.
"Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing," she said on Monday after the multiple "kill" notices further fuelled the speculation about her health and whereabouts.
"I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused," she added in a statement.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Featured Video Of The Day
Mumbai Airport Dazzles In Tricolour Lights On Eve Of Independence Day
Kate Middleton Had Emergency Surgery To Remove Lump As Teen, Reveals New Book Kate Middleton Gets Standing Ovation At Wimbledon Final In Rare Outing Since Cancer Diagnosis Kate Middleton Attends Wimbledon Finals Amid Cancer Battle, Presents Trophy To Winner Alcaraz 2 French Rafale Jets Collide Mid-Air, Instructor, Pilot Missing Ayatollah Khamenei Warns Of "Divine Wrath" If Iran Backs Down Against Israel 9 Arrested For Violence At Kolkata Hospital Where Doctor Was Raped-Murdered Will Build Education System So That Youngsters Do Not Go Abroad: PM Modi Over 40,000 Killed In Gaza Amid Raging War, Says Hamas Health Ministry BSA Goldstar 650 Launched In India At Rs 2.99 Lakh, Rivals RE 650 Twins Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.