The riddle of the royal photo and the recall 

Welcome to Monday’s Early Edition from i.

Speculating on the lives of the members of the Royal Family is as much a British – or indeed global – pastime as commenting on the weather. But the image taken by Prince William and released by Kensington Palace, published to mark Mother’s Day yesterday, has created a frenzy of speculation quite unlike any other. As the entire world knows, Kate Middleton’s planned pause from public duties as she recovers from a surgical procedure has sent a lot of people down a seemingly endless rabbit hole of entirely unsubstantiated ideas concerning her wellbeing. Conspiracy theories as to her whereabouts have gripped people on social media, despite the fact that so far, she has only done exactly what Kensington Palace said she would do – which is remain off public duties until after Easter, based on medical advice. The latest picture of the princess may well have been issued in an attempt to pour cold water on the unwelcome and growing speculation, it may be that there was always the intention to post one – as the couple have done in previous years. But the latest twist in the saga, with the image being recalled by some of the world’s largest photo agencies – has done the absolute opposite, pushing people’s obsessions over her health to fever pitch. What happened – and what questions must the palace answer? We’ll take a look, after the headlines.

 Today’s news, and why it matters

 Nearly 900 vulnerable children have been left without appropriate transport to school after funding cuts at bankrupt Birmingham City Council, i can reveal. From September, pupils with special educational needs and disabilities aged 16-18 will no longer be eligible for council-funded taxis or minibuses to take them to and from school or college.

Former immigration chief David Neal has called the Home Office “dysfunctional” and says the department is in need of reform. The sacked borders watchdog said failings in the immigration system go “right to the top” of the Home Office.

The mother of Brianna Ghey and her killer’s family could campaign together on issues such as child safeguarding following a private meeting. Esther Ghey confirmed she held a face-to-face meeting with Emma Sutton, the mother of 16-year-old Scarlett Jenkinson, who plotted and carried out the murder of trans girl Brianna.

Hundreds of pre-term births could be prevented in the UK every year after scientists developed a way to identify women at high risk of damaging infections during pregnancy. A routine and proven procedure can then be used to reduce that risk by nearly three quarters, according to a new study.

I was a fly tipper – now I’ve joined the squad fighting to keep our streets clean. Illegal dumping is blighting our neighbourhood – Newham officers on the rubbish beat explain why – and what is being done about it.

4 questions on the row over the Kate Middleton photo:

What happened? On Sunday, a photo of the Princess of Wales, sitting on a chair surrounded by her three children George, Charlotte and Louis, was posted on the couple’s official Instagram page with the caption: “Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months. Wishing everyone a Happy Mother’s Day. C” It added that the photo was taken by the Prince of Wales. Kensington Palace said the image was taken in Windsor earlier this week. Many news outlets ran stories about the photo, angled on the fact it was Kate’s first official photo since surgery earlier this year.

Why are so many people speculating about the princess? In mid-January Kensington Palace announced that Kate had undergone successful abdominal surgery at the prestigious London Clinic. The palace said the princess would spent between two and three months recuperating, and be off public duties during that period. A spokesperson said at the time: “The Princess of Wales appreciates the interest this statement will generate. She hopes that the public will understand her desire to maintain as much normality for her children as possible; and her wish that her personal medical information remains private. Kensington Palace will, therefore, only provide updates on Her Royal Highness’ progress when there is significant new information to share.” But the approach to sharing information on Kate’s condition was contrasted by some with that taken by King Charles, who made a public appearance soon after his prostrate procedure, and who also announced his cancer diagnosis to the world. (However, both won praise for sharing details that they were undergoing health issues). A series of events also helped to fuel speculation about Kate’s wellbeing. In late February Prince William pulled out of a memorial service due to a “personal matter”. Kensington Palace did not elaborate, but said that Kate continued to be doing well. Theories swirled again when the Army removed a claim on its website that the Princess of Wales would attend Trooping the Colour in June. According to the official website, Catherine, as Colonel of the Irish Guards, was to review troops ahead of the military event on 8 June with the King due to attend the final parade on 15 June. i understood that Kensington Palace was not consulted about the web page. Rumours were also propelled by a photo of Kate being driven by her mother in Windsor, published on the US gossip site TMZ.

Why is there a storm over the photo? Hours after the photo was released to the public, four major news agencies recalled it. The Reuters news agency said “We are deleting a post containing an image of the Princess of Wales following a post-publication review.” AFP said: “Mandatory kill. Due to an editorial issue this photo by the Prince of Wales has been withdrawn.” The Associated Press said it pulled the photograph from circulation “because it did not meet its photo standards”. The AP explained it does not use “altered or digitally manipulated images. AP’s news values and principles explain that minor photo editing, including cropping and toning and color adjustments, are acceptable when necessary for clear and accurate reproduction and should maintain the authentic nature of the photograph. (You can read its full explanation here). Getty also removed it. Meanwhile the PA news agency said it had not killed the picture on its service, but was seeking urgent clarification from Kensington Palace about the concerns raised. It is not entirely unusual for photos released by news agencies to be “killed” or recalled if they do not meet standards. Great care is taken to ensure pictures released are accurate and not doctored. Pictures may come with advisories on usage, including when they have been supplied by third parties or when a news agency cannot verify exactly when a photo was taken. There are obvious errors in the photo released by the palace, most notably around princess Charlotte’s cardigan sleeve. An obvious explanation, suggested by some observers, may be that a series of pictures were stitched together to show all three children smiling. But there is absolutely no doubt of one thing – its release has been a total PR disaster.

What questions must the Palace answer? So far, Kensington Palace has not commented on the furore over the photo. But a simple explanation on why it was released with the appearance of being doctored would undoubtedly stop some of the obsession on social media. Last week a poll found the majority of the British public do not believe members of the Royal Family are transparent about what happens in their lives. Royal commentator Peter Hunt told the PA news agency: “This is damaging for the royals. They knew there would be intense interest in any picture they released of Kate. Their challenge is that people will now question whether they can be trusted and believed when they next issue a health update.”

Around the world

 Trump hired me to investigate election fraud – I proved his claims were bonkers. Data analyst Ken Block showed Donald Trump’s lawyers that votes weren’t fixed in 2020, yet the Republican candidate still tells his supporters they were cheated.

The US military has launched a ship to send humanitarian aid to Gaza as the UN warns over 500,000 people across the Gaza Strip are at risk of famine. The General Frank S Besson – which set sail from a military base in the state of Virginia on Saturday – is carrying equipment to build a temporary pier of the coast of the enclave.

The leader of Portugal’s centre-right Democratic Alliance, Luis Montenegro, has claimed victory after a closely contested parliamentary election that saw the far-right surge. With almost 99% of Sunday’s votes counted, the Democratic Alliance and the Socialist party were each on 28.67%.

Ukraine and its allies have responded with outrage to comments by the Pope suggesting it should “raise the white flag” to Russia and begin negotiations to end the war. The Ukrainian Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, condemned the comments and urged the Pope to stand “on the side of good” against evil and “avoid repeating the mistakes of the past”, in apparent reference to collaboration between the Nazis and some in the Catholic Church during the Second World War.

One of the teenagers accused of killing of a British mother when they broke into her home in Australia has pleaded guilty to murder. Emma Lovell, 41, was allegedly stabbed when confronting two intruders in Brisbane on Boxing Day in 2022.

 Watch out for…

 Michael Gove, who is preparing to announce a new government definition of extremism. 

 Thoughts for the day

 How Joe Biden could help solve the Labour Party’s identity crisis. Keir Starmer needs more ammunition in his campaign arsenal than simply being a fresher alternative to exhausted and fractious rivals, argues Anne McElvoy.

Farewell to Theresa May, the best-worst Tory prime minister in British history. She was one of five Tory leaders, each disastrous in different ways, who will keep historians busy for decades, writes Ian Birrell.

Mass salmon deaths are a warning: no one should be eating this fish. Mortalities of this scale tell us something is profoundly wrong with the way we raise these animals for our consumption, says James Dyke.

Culture Break

 Wayne McGregor: ‘People think of me as an outsider, but I’ve never felt like one’. One minute the choreographer is apologising about his two unhappy whippets – stuck indoors thanks to the rain and the next, he’s rhapsodising about quantum dots and the production of light.

The Big Read

 Badenoch, Braverman or Mordaunt? Who Starmer fears most as next Tory leader. Labour insiders run the rule over the potential candidates to succeed Rishi Sunak, reports Rachel Wearmouth.

Sport

 Liverpool expose Man City weakness and show title race is no foregone conclusion. City have slipped up before in previous seasons but never like this, writes Mark Douglas.

Something to brighten your day

 The 11 biggest moments of the Oscars. Oppenheimer won big, Ryan Gosling lost big (but still had the time of his life), and Emma Stone cemented her place in cinema history – again.