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. He said: ‘Load of cobblers. Bye.’
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.
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.
Last night, after this story was published to MailOnline, 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, quicky and efficiently for them’.
James Parker is a UK-based entertainment aficionado who delves into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry. From Hollywood to the West End, he offers readers an insider’s perspective on the world of movies, music, and pop culture.
