Prince Archie’s official christening photograph, featuring a proud Duke and Duchess of Sussex, is the latest royal image to be dragged into the photo manipulation saga.
Global picture agency Getty said the portrait had been ‘digitally enhanced’. It is unclear why when it shows no signs of any obvious discrepancies.
The picture – taken by fashion photographer Chris Allerton – was released after Archie’s christening on July 6, 2019, showing the two-month-old with Meghan, Prince Harry, King Charles, Camilla, William, Kate, Meghan’s mother Doria Ragland, and Princess Diana’s sisters.
Last night, Mr Allerton strenuously denied manipulating the image, saying the suggestion ‘was a load of cobblers’.
Prince Archie’s official christening photo has been recalled by global picture agency Getty who said the portrait has been ‘digitally enhanced’
It follows last week’s furore over the Princess of Wales’s Mother’s Day portrait after her admission she does ‘occasionally experiment with editing’. Several international news agencies issued a ‘kill’ notice withdrawing it from use.
A portrait of the late Queen with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren – snapped by Kate in August 2022 at Balmoral – has also been given the same branding by Getty. Both photos have an ‘editor’s note’ placed in their Getty captions which states: ‘Image has been digitally enhanced at source.’
Kate’s portrait of the late Queen – with her two grandchildren, Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor, and James, Earl of Wessex, and eight great-grandchildren, Lena Tindall, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Isla Phillips, Prince Louis, Mia Tindall, Lucas Tindall and Savannah Phillips – was released on April 21 last year to mark what would have been Elizabeth II’s 97th birthday.
This portrait of the late Queen with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren – snapped by Kate in August 2022 at Balmoral – has also been given the same branding by Getty
Mia Grace Tindall’s hair appears to of been digitally altered with a duplicated ringlet
A repeated pattern can be seen on Princess Charlotte’s floral dress which could be a sign of editing
There appears to be an unexplained black triangle next to Prince George’s collar
The tartan pattern on the late Queen’s skirt appears to have been sliced and is out of place
A black cable on the floor appears to have been cut with blurring around one end
The dimple in the green sofa that they are sitting on appears to be digitally altered
On close inspection, the sofa appears to have been spliced together, there is a vertical line where the tartan of Elizabeth II’s skirt does not match, there are black patches behind Prince George and Prince Louis. Mia’s hair shows signs of ‘digital repetition’, as does Charlotte’s dress.
A Getty spokesman said: ‘Getty Images is undertaking a review of handout images and in accordance with its editorial policy is placing an editor’s note on images where the source has suggested they could be digitally enhanced.’
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s spokespeople were contacted.
Mr Allerton stressed that his photograph ‘has not been manipulated’ and thanked the Mail for bringing to his attention that Getty had added an ‘editor’s note’ to his image.
He said: ‘I have contacted the Getty Editorial Team to request clarification’.
The photographer recalled his portrait had only needed ‘the very minimal tuning’ to its tone and exposure, as he had meticulously prepared his camera and lighting settings prior to the royals arriving, and so all that remained was to concentrate on ‘capturing a relaxed and pleasing moment, quickly and efficiently for them’.