"Controversy Surrounds Manipulated Kate Middleton Photo Release"

The first official photo of Princess Kate Middleton released by the UK royal family since her abdominal surgery has been removed by news agencies, including AFP, over concerns that the image was manipulated. The photo, taken by Prince William, shows Kate sitting with her three children to mark Mother's Day. Kate has been recovering at home in Windsor since leaving the hospital on January 29. Speculation about her absence from the spotlight arose despite Kensington Palace's statement that she would be unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter, and that her surgery was not related to cancer.