Throughout February and March 2024, global headlines were littered with speculation over the whereabouts of Kate Middleton.
For several weeks, the 43-year-old Princess remained out of the public eye, with some Royal Family fans concerned for her wellbeing, and others encouraging bizarre conspiracy theories online.
These outlandish propositions were further fuelled by a series of Photoshop mishaps on Kate's part - for which she faced mass backlash, and she subsequently shared a heartbreaking apology.
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Little did the world know that the mother-of-three had undergone planned abdominal surgery, received a cancer diagnosis, and was secretly receiving treatment behind the scenes.
Now a year on from the events, and a Royal expert has lifted the lid on the devastating repercussions that such speculation had on Kate and her family.
Of the most hotly-discussed Photoshop blunders was a Mother's Day post shared online by Kate, featuring her sons, Princes George and Louis, 11 and six, and daughter Princess Charlotte, nine.
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A number of irregularities in the image sparked questioning from critics, including an area near Charlotte's sleeve, patchy window panes, a lack of reflection in the window itself, and Kate's zip stopping part way down her jacket.
The family photograph was also pulled by a number of global press agencies, including AP, AFP and Reuters, amid claims the photo had been 'manipulated'. Eventually, Kate admitted to having edited the photo.
"There was a real sense then that they felt bruised by it," royal author Robert Hardman told PEOPLE this week.
"It was treated like some great fraud."
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Admitting to the mistake at the time, the Princess claimed: "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."
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Ailsa Anderson - former press secretary to the late Queen Elizabeth II - also told the publication of the criticism the Photoshopping error sparked: "It was like being on a roller coaster for them… undergoing chemotherapy and trying to protect your children.
"It was like being in the middle of a tornado and not knowing when it was going to calm down."
On 22 March, Kate broke the news of her diagnosis to the public with an emotional video, revealing she was in the early stages of treatment.
"It has been an incredibly tough couple of months for our entire family, but I've had a fantastic medical team who have taken great care of me, for which I am so grateful," she said at the time.
Around the same time, her father-in-law King Charles was also diagnosed with cancer, with reports alleging that her husband Prince William found out about their health woes 'within a couple weeks'.
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Jason Knauf, who worked for the Wales until 2021, previously told 60 Minutes Australia viewers of the impact that his family's health may have had on William at the time.
"If you're Prince William, you find out that both your wife and your father have cancer..." Knauf reflected during the February interview.
"I mean, I couldn't believe it."
Speaking about a supposed phone call between him and William following Kate's diagnosis, the former aide said: "It was awful, absolutely awful.
"It's the lowest I've ever seen him."
In September of last year, Kate revealed that she'd concluded with chemotherapy and was slowly returning to her royal duties.
And in January, during a visit to the Royal Marsden Hospital in Chelsea, the Princess confirmed that her cancer was now in remission.
"I wanted to take the opportunity to say thank you to The Royal Marsden for looking after me so well during the past year," she gushed at the time. "My heartfelt thanks goes to all those who have quietly walked alongside William and me as we have navigated everything."
Kate added: "We couldn’t have asked for more. The care and advice we have received throughout my time as a patient has been exceptional."
Topics: Cancer, Health, Kate Middleton, Royal Family, UK News
Rhianna Benson