How Palace handling of Kate Middleton photo crisis fuelled yet more conspiracy theories - from claims she face swapped her Vogue shoot, sent Pippa out as a body double and used shot from 2023

The facial recognition expert who outed Vladimir Putin's Salisbury poisoners today stepped in to dismiss one of the many wild and unfounded conspiracy theories about the Princess of Wales and her health.

Eliot Higgins, the journalist and founder of Bellingcat, has laughed off claims that Kate Middleton's light editing of a family photo for Mother's Day included swapping her face with a Vogue cover shot from eight years ago.

AI and Photoshop experts have also brushed off the bizarre allegations, insisting that that the amateur photographer and future queen did 'a five minute job' to try to make the 'perfect family picture'.

But the scandal of Kate's edit and a shock appearance with William yesterday ramped up already out of control conspiracy theories about her health and whereabouts since she had major surgery at the end of January. 

Some more ridiculous claims include Kate using a body double - or sister Pippa - as a stand-in when the Princess of Wales was seen with her mother last week and with William yesterday. Others have insisted the photo of Kate and her children is from at least four months ago or even earlier in 2023 due to a plant in leaf behind them.

One video claiming to show how the Princess of Wales moved her face from the June 2016 cover of Vogue and put in on her 2024 Mother's Day portrait has been viewed almost 35million times on Twitter.

The animation also came to the attention of world leading internet super-sleuth Mr Higgins, who described how he thought it was a 'parody' until he realised social media users were taking it so seriously.

The Belingcat boss, whose forensic analysis of images, CCTV, Russian passport records and open source documents unmasked the men sent by Putin to poison Sergei Skripal with Novichok, said of the conspiracy theorists: 'These people are playing spot the difference and losing'.

Tearing the comparison apart he went on: 'There's so many minor differences, like the reflection of the light in her pupils, the light and shadow on her face, the teeth visible, wrinkles, etc etc, that it's clearly just a photo of the same woman from about the same angle, not the same exact photo. It hurts my brain that I even have to point this out'.

Kensington Palace released the first picture of the Princess of Wales since surgery but the  public were quick to notice the photoshop fail and soon after agencies ordered a 'kill notice'

Bellingcat's Elliot Higgins shared close-ups of the Vogue cover from 2016 (left) and Mother's Day (right) to show the differences in the two images including Kate's eyes, mouth, hair and eyebrows

Mr Higgins, who outed the Skripal poisoners using forensic analysis of images, CCTV and documents said the theory was more 'parody' than truth

Sharing like-for-like matches to prove the Vogue cover theory is false, he said: 'It's not pixel perfect, if you actually look closely at the details you'll see numerous small differences'. 

Mr Higgins then said to one Twitter user pushing the claim to thousands of followers: 'Great way to get clicks, if you don't care about your credibility'.

Photographers and Photoshop experts have also laughed off the claims.

Texas-based photo-journalist  Jonas Peterson said: 'So many people here who have no idea what you can do with AI and photoshop today. This was a 5 minute job on a low res file'.

Lee Walton, Imaging Technician at DMG Newspapers said: 'Whatever the online conspiracy theorists would have you believe, however, I can categorically say no one's head or hands have been entirely replaced'.

The charming picture of a smiling Kate with George, Charlotte and Louis was released on Mothering Sunday to stifle smouldering rumours about her health following abdominal surgery in January.

Instead, the rare royal blunder resulted in another public explosion of conspiracy theories.

It all began when six of the world's top picture agencies including the Press Association then sensationally pulled the photo from their wires and libraries amid concern that the 'source has manipulated the image', pouring petrol on the online flames.

Kate was forced to issue an extraordinary mea culpa yesterday after admitting she 'edited' it, adding fuel to conspiracy theorists' fire. 

Then hours later she was photographed next to the Prince of Wales as he left Windsor Castle for the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey yesterday.

But there were only two photographers there who didn't realise she was in the Range Rover with her husband until they looked at the photographs of William looking at his phone.

While the silhouette was clearly Kate's, the fact there were no pictures of Kate's face only sent social media into further meltdown.

Kate was going to a private appointment - not the Abbey - meaning William arrived for the service alone.

PR experts have claimed that the Princess of Wales' decision to travel with William was a deliberate decision to show she was up and about and well. 

But the brief appearance in public with her husband when she was meant to be recuperating at home until after Easter caused more hysteria on Twitter and Facebook.

One of the wild theories floating around is that Kate is using a body double - or her sister Pippa - here yesterday with William and last week with Carole Middleton

Photos published in the US last week - but not in the UK media - have been seized upon by conspiracy theorists too 

Some of Kate's editing caused glitches in the image. This has again has been seized upon by those who claim it is a body double in the Mother's day snap. Experts say that that they are sure Kate is in the picture but admit it has been poorly Photoshopped

Others said the greenery behind meant it was taken last year - not Friday as claimed. But gardeners and horticulturists have backed up claims it was recent

The Briton shared this exasperated tweet yesterday to debunk the conspiracy theory 

One of the photographers at the scene says it certainly was the Princess of Wales - although it came as a shock to them.

He has explained that they were stood on a public road - Datchet High Street - at a spot where they knew they could photograph William because he most often sits on the right hand side of the car when driven to royal events.

'It was about 1.50pm when we saw the convoy coming towards us and we managed to get a quick picture,' one of the photographers told The Daily Telegraph.

'We had no idea that Kate was even in the car with him until we looked at it. It was pure luck.'

Some made unfounded and bizarre claims that the woman in the car with William was not Kate at all - and was a body double or the family's nanny. 

Another conspiracy theory is that the photo was taken in November due to the clothes worn by Princess Charlotte and a plant with leaves behind them.

But data attached to the picture shows that it was likely taken on Friday, according to The Times. There were two edits on Friday night and Saturday morning, which Kate confessed to yesterday.

Gardening experts also said it was possible the photograph edited by the Princess of Wales was genuinely taken last week – despite a plant in the background having lots of leaves.

An online conspiracy theory had suggested it is too early in the year for the plant to be so green.

Guy Barter, chief adviser at the Royal Horticultural Society said the image quality was not sufficient to identify the plant. But he suggested those who said the plant could not be so leafy may not be aware that the UK has had a remarkably mild winter – and many plants would be in leaf ahead of times in the US, where many of the critics of the image live.

He told the Mail: 'I am unfamiliar with bud-burst times in the US but I expect they are delayed compared to ours, especially in northern states, which may explain why Americans are perplexed.'

People in the UK also shared pictures of their gardens showing that also have leaves on their shrubs and plants. 

A picture published in the US showing Kate being driven my her mother Carole was clearly the Princess of Wales but some insisted it was her sister Pippa.

The Princess of Wales is said to be distressed about the furore the picture and her 'experiment' with photo editing has caused, especially as it overshadowed the Commonwealth Day service and William's Earthshot event in London last night.

Kate also posted the apology on the Prince and Princess of Wales' Instagram account

The Princess of Wales wanted to own up to her Mother's Day photo blunder as she believed honesty was the 'best policy', it has been claimed. 

It was taken in a 40-minute window before she edited it to make her children look good, royal insiders have said .

In an astonishing move, Kate Middleton admitted yesterday that she 'edited' an image showing her celebrating Mothering Sunday with her children.

But a palace insider told The Telegraph that the princess felt 'awful' about the altered image, and she had tried to make the photo the 'best it could be'. 

A friend of Kate also said she would be 'upset' by the storm caused by what was meant to be an 'innocent family photograph', the Mirror reported. 

It comes after the princess said in a rare personal message on Twitter that she 'occasionally experimented' as an 'amateur photographer'.

She apologised for any 'confusion' the photograph had caused, after six global picture agencies sensationally pulled the image from their wires and libraries – an unprecedented reaction to an official royal photograph – amid concern that 'the source has manipulated the image'.

The kill notices by the agencies added fuel to the fire as a litany of conspiracy theories continue to swirl about Kate's health.

There were questions over everything from why Princess Charlotte's wrist did not match the sleeve of her cardigan, to Prince Louis' strange fingers. 

The photograph of Kate and her children, taken by Prince William at the family home in Windsor on Friday, was the first to be issued since her abdominal surgery in January. 

Although the couple have regularly issued something personal to mark Mother's Day, it was hoped the picture might also quell vicious social media speculation about the nature of the princess's condition, which has deeply upset and angered the couple.

 Instead, the royal blunder resulted in another public explosion of conspiracy theories.

Royal sources said the princess had made 'minor adjustments' to the picture, which she and her husband had hoped would be a lovely 'informal' shot to share on a special day.

One source said: 'The princess made minor adjustments, as she shared in her statement on social media. The Wales family spent Mother's Day together and had a wonderful day.'

The Mirror reported that a royal insider said: 'It is a bad day at the office for the palace and something which will no doubt be reflected on in future.'

It appears Charlotte's hand was copied over from another picture as there is an empty space where her sleeve should be (left). Kate's zip appears to be misaligned on the photo as the top of it is further left and appears significantly lighter than the rest of the zip (right)

Charlotte's hair seems to end abruptly on her shoulder (left) on her right despite her hair on the left going on for a few inches. The corner of Charlotte's skirt (right) was pointed out as another 'editing error' by social media sleuths

Publicly taking the blame for the furore, the princess wrote: 'Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing.

'I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused.

'I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother's Day. C.'

Kensington Palace said it would not reissue the unedited photograph of Kate and her children, which in itself sparked further debate.

Last night, the Palace faced growing pressure over the debacle with claims it has damaged public trust. The row overshadowed yesterday's Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey, which was being led by Queen Camilla for the first time – accompanied by Prince William – in the King's absence as he undergoes cancer treatment. His Majesty recorded a video message for the first time instead.

Yesterday Kate was seen in the back seat of a car with her husband as he left Windsor to travel to London for two public engagements. It is understood she was en route to a 'private appointment' and she did not accompany William publicly.

Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams told MailOnline her 'sudden appearance 's not a dignified response' to what has occurred.

He said: 'When journalists have been saying they want to 'see' Catherine, no one, as I understand it, meant in quite this way. A sudden appearance, which she has just made, is a knee jerk reaction which lacks what royals must have, that is dignity. 

'This business has also overshadowed Commonwealth Day. There should never have been two and a half months where she seemed to disappear, we should, occasionally, have felt we were in touch whilst it was important she felt she had kept her privacy.

'William and Catherine are under tremendous pressure, which is particularly horrible if one has been seriously ill as she has. However, the mistake of editing the photograph, though extremely embarrassing, is not a major calamity. 

'What it shows is that she looks well again and that her children look very happy. However, their current handling of public relations is potentially perilous. 

'What the small but growing number of republicans want is to mock the monarchy. 

'Whilst Queen Elizabeth lived this was all but impossible. Ill-health and the crises affecting the Sussexes and Yorks have given them a good opportunity. The public relations at the Palaces needs to be responsive and disciplined which it clearly is not. William and Catherine are the world's most glamorous and high profile royal couple. 

'They need dignity to continue to do good for their charities and project soft power like no one else can for Britain. They must put this embarrassing episode behind them and appear publicly confident. It will take time and common sense, kept in touch, the people will respond...'