News agencies pull photo of Catherine, Princess of Wales due to 'manipulation' concerns

Editors at photo agencies have questioned the authenticity of a snap of Catherine, Princess of Wales released for Mother's Day, claiming it has been "manipulated".

The photo, which shows Catherine surrounded by her three children - George, Charlotte, and Louis - was posted on the official social media accounts for the Prince and Princess of Wales to mark Mothering Sunday in the U.K.

"Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months," the caption read. "Wishing everyone a Happy Mother's Day. C."

However, bosses at major news agencies have questioned the veracity of the photo released by Kensington Palace, with editors at Associated Press and Reuters retracting it from their libraries.

"The Associated Press initially published the photo, which was issued by Kensington Palace. But AP later retracted the image because at closer inspection, it appeared the source had manipulated the image in a way that did not meet AP's photo standards," a note reads on the organisation's website. "The photo shows an inconsistency in the alignment of Princess Charlotte's left hand."

Catherine was photographed for the first time last week since her abdominal surgery in January. She was spotted in the passenger seat of her mum Carole Middleton's car, near Windsor Castle.