Kate Middleton, Prince William Face A Dilemma Over Prince Louis' Upcoming Birthday
Kate Middleton and Prince William are allegedly trying to figure out how to proceed with Prince Louis' birthday photos.
The youngest member of the Wales family will turn six on April 23. It has been the tradition of the Prince and Princess of Wales to release photos of their children to mark their birthdays. The Duchess of Cambridge, who is an amateur photographer, usually takes the royal kids' pictures.
Prince Louis's upcoming birthday is still a month away; however, Middleton's Mother's Day photo taken by Prince William received a "kill notice" from the Associated Press and other agencies a few weeks ago. The royal couple is reportedly debating if they should take the picture or leave it to a professional photographer following their photo-editing scandal because they still want to release birthday photos for their youngest child.
"They appreciate the public's love and affection for their children and know there is a public appetite to see them on their birthdays," an unnamed source told The Sunday Times.
Middleton has been sharing casual photos of her and Prince William's children to mark their special days and milestones. Sources close to the royal couple said there's still no "firm decision" on whether Middleton will capture the photo or leave the job to a professional.
Kensington Palace released a snap of Middleton on March 10 to mark Mother's Day in the U.K. In the snap that was supposed to be her first official portrait after she had been missing for months following her abdominal surgery, the duchess was surrounded by her three children.
However, several claimed that the picture was Photoshopped, and shortly after the buzz on social media, the Associated Press issued a "kill notice." Several agencies did the same and took down the photo.
Middleton apologized for the "confusion" and explained that just like any amateur photographer, she would "occasionally experiment with editing."
When the manipulated Mother's Day photo made headlines, the global news director of Agence France-Presse (AFP) Phil Chetwynd released a statement to E! News, saying that it would no longer consider Kensington Palace a "trusted source."
"At this moment in time, AFP's trust in handout pictures from the [Kensington] Palace has been compromised," Chetwynd shared. "We cannot say they are a trusted source for handout pictures. We still require further explanations."
