Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's photographer friend Misan Harriman has shut down allegations that he edited the Duchess of Sussex's pregnancy announcement picture amid Kate Middleton's photo scandal.

After Middleton admitted to editing the photo she shared Sunday to celebrate Mother's Day in the U.K., multiple outlets, including the Daily Mail, The Telegraph and The Sun, allegedly published reports claiming Harriman confessed to doctoring the portrait the Sussexes used to announce Markle's pregnancy with their second child, Princess Lilibet, in 2021.

It was claimed that the famous photo was originally taken in a meadow and that the large tree behind Prince Harry and Markle had been added later.

In a video posted on X and Instagram Wednesday, the professional photographer denied the claims that he admitted to "switching out trees and meadows" in Prince Harry and Markle's picture during a 2022 interview on the BBC podcast "Private Passions."

Harriman said the only change he made to the image was the black-and-white color grade and demanded an apology from the Daily Mail and The Telegraph.

The photographer shared the original photo of Prince Harry and Markle as well as the metadata backing up that he took the portrait on an Apple iPad.

"The original Jpeg without the black and White grade, I expect a full apology and retraction from @MailOnline @Telegraph @victoria_ward," Harriman wrote. "No trees or meadows were moved or swapped, this is the image straight out of camera. Also, that is a Jacaranda Tree, not a willow tree."

The snap, which was first shared on Valentine's Day in 2021, shows a pregnant Markle lying in the lap of Prince Harry, who looks at her lovingly and cradles her head.

The original image revealed that Markle wore a yellow dress for the photoshoot.

In the video he posted on social media, Harriman played the part in his podcast interview that was used as his alleged admission of photo editing.

During the 2022 interview, podcast host Michael Berkeley asked Harriman, "They weren't actually under a willow tree, but they were lying outside in a meadow, weren't they -- Harry and Meghan? When you took the photograph of them?"

"They were lost at home in their love, in their garden, comfortable, celebrating new joy, new life, the fortitude of hoping for light in life after such a loss that they went through with the miscarriage. It really was a particularly joyous image to celebrate life itself," Harriman responded, referring to the pregnancy loss Markle said she suffered in 2020.

Harriman clarified that he was avoiding responding to what he called a leading question from the host and never said the original background was different from what was shown in Prince Harry and Markle's picture.

"How that exchange could amount to me admitting to doctoring an image is insidious and really dangerous journalism," the photographer said. "Any mention of meadows and willow trees came out of the person doing the interview, not my mouth."

Harriman went on to accuse tabloids of twisting his words and trying to "merge it with this current news cycle," seemingly referring to Middleton's controversy without mentioning her by name.



Earlier this week, the Princess of Wales issued an apology and admitted to editing the portrait of her and her three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

"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," read a post on the Prince and Princess of Wales' official account on X.

The apology came after the Associated Press and other major photo agencies pulled the image due to concerns of manipulation.



The photo had marked Middleton's first official public sighting since her abdominal surgery in January.

The admission of editing only fueled the speculation and theories surrounding Middleton's health and whereabouts.

Kensington Palace previously announced that Middleton would not return to public duties until Easter.

Tags
Meghan Markle, Prince Harry, Kate Middleton