Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's son, Archie, was christened amidst controversy, marking the third occasion where the royal family's images have faced accusations of digital manipulation.
The Daily Mail reported on Tuesday, March 19th, that Getty Images had digitally altered a July 2019 photograph of the Royals. The picture, captured by Chris Allon, features Harry, Meghan holding the then two-month-old Archie, King Charles III, Queen Camilla, Prince William, Princess Catherine, Meghan's mother Doria Ragland, and Princess Diana's sisters.
Photographer Al has vehemently denied these claims, dismissing them as baseless. Megan's close friend, Misan Harman, expressed dismay on social media, stating that Getty Images should not have appended an editor's note to Allon's image.
Harman's message raised questions about Archie's age in the photograph, noting that the picture was supposedly taken just two days after his birth, contradicting claims of him being two months old at the time. The date stamp further corroborates this timeline, as the photo was released via Sussex Royal's Instagram. Moreover, the choice of attire raised suspicions, with Catherine wearing blue on the day of Archie's christening, yet appearing in pink in the photo. This discrepancy was highlighted alongside observations of potential Photoshop alterations to Catherine's clothing, including a clipped blouse edge and irregular collar stitching.
The scrutiny extended to Megan Markle's involvement, with suggestions that she may have influenced the editing process. Comparisons were drawn to previous controversies involving the late Queen and Princess Diana's photos, emphasizing the need for equal scrutiny of images featuring the former royals in California. Critics accused Megan of narcissism and questioned the authenticity of the christening photo, particularly noting inconsistencies in lighting and reflections that suggested elements of the image were digitally manipulated.
Further analysis revealed peculiarities in the composition of the photo, indicating that it might be a collage rather than a genuine group portrait. Observations on Reddit pointed out disparities in sharpness and contrast between the background and the individuals, implying that they were not photographed together in the same environment. Additionally, Megan's white dress failed to cast a reflection on the sofa, defying principles of light physics and lending credence to suspicions of digital tampering.
In light of these revelations, doubts were cast on the authenticity of the christening photo, with speculation mounting about the extent of digital manipulation involved. The controversy underscored the challenges of discerning truth in the age of digital imagery and raised questions about the integrity of representations of the royal family.
