Catherine, Princess of Wales, on Monday admitted to editing a controversial family photo and apologized for "any confusion" it had caused after major press agencies pulled the image over the weekend.

Why it matters: The rare move by AP, Reuters, AFP and other news organizations has added fuel to speculation about the princess' whereabouts and health following an unspecified abdominal surgery.

State of play: "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," Kensington Palace wrote in a post on X Monday.

• The note was signed "C," indicating it came from the princess.

Catch up quick: The palace released the photo, showing Princess Kate surrounded by her three children, on Sunday to mark Mother's Day in the U.K.

• But the image quickly faced scrutiny on social media for apparent editing lapses.

I’ve never been much of a conspiracy theorist but if @AP @AFP @Reuters & other picture agencies are concerned enough to remove it and ask clients to delete it, there are serious questions for Kensington Palace - which was the source of the photo.
These appears to be the issues 👇 https://t.co/ifcSB9mUzu pic.twitter.com/bH5gN9fJtJ

— Chris Ship (@chrisshipitv) March 10, 2024

The big picture: It was the first official photo of the princess released since she underwent surgery in January.

• The princess has stepped away from her official duties as she recovers from the procedure, which the palace previously said was "successful."

Go deeper: How the women of the British monarchy use their clothing to send a message

Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional context about the photo.