After weeks of growing speculation about the Princess of Wales' health, Kate Middleton shared a video with the public explaining that she is in the early stages of preventative chemotherapy following her abdominal surgery in January. The clip of the royal was broadcast on the BBC before being shared to the official Kensington Palace social media accounts, and while it quickly put an end to much of the online conspiracy theories the video sparked fresh editing claims from social media users, leading BBC Studios to issue a statement confirming that no edits had been made.
However, this week the short video made headlines once again as photo agency Getty Images added an Editor's Note to the footage, which is available to download from their database. In the flagged video of Kate detailing her cancer diagnosis, the Editor's Note reads: "This Handout clip was provided by a third-party organisation and may not adhere to Getty Images' editorial policy."
The additional information provided by Getty Images continues that the video 'was provided by Kensington Palace' and noted that it was filmed on 20th March 2024 in Windsor, two days before it was officially broadcast.
Although Getty Images did not immediately clarify why the video did not uphold their editorial standards, according to both The Independent and Business Insider the photo agency eventually commented on the Editor's Note on Monday. A representative for the company reportedly explained that it is standard practice to attach an Editor's Note to video content which has been distributed by a third party. In this case, Kensington Palace - who provided them with the video - are considered to be the third party.
In the wake of the Mother's Day photoshop controversy, some broadcasters shared that all future and historic media from the Palace was under review and it marked a huge increase in online conspiracy theories about the Princess' health and recovery.
