This post has been updated since it was originally posted on 12/16/2023.
The Prince and Princess of Wales, both 41, released their highly-anticipated Christmas card for 2023 on their joint Instagram account on December 9th. And while at first glance, royal fans were obsessed with how gorgeous and photogenic the family is, and how much Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5, had grown in just one year, it was a different story upon closer inspection!
Some royal fans spotted some inconsistencies after examining the black and white picture in more detail, leading many to suspect that there were a few Photoshop fails. We expect this sort of thing from the Kardashians, but not from the future king and queen of England! Kate Middleton and Prince William are reportedly “embarrassed” over the photoshop failures, and were apparently “as shocked as everyone else.” Keep reading for more information.
Prince William And Kate Middleton Release 2023 Christmas Card
The royal family Christmas photo was taken by Josh Shinner, and showed Prince William and Kate Middleton posing in black trousers and jeans, respectively, and white shirts. Their two sons are standing beside them, while daughter Princess Charlotte is sitting on a chair with one leg crossed over the other. So far, so good – until royal fans started zooming in and finding some faults with the picture.
One of the first signs of a Photoshop fail involved what appeared to be an unidentified extra leg, while the other seemed to show Prince Louis with a missing finger. Both of these supposed errors were discussed heavily on social media, as expected.
Royal Fans Comment On An 'Extra Leg' In The Picture
Commenting on the Prince and Princess of Wales' Instagram account, one fan said: "Photoshop fail! There's an extra leg in this picture! How did the photographer not notice?" This was also addressed over on X, formerly Twitter, with one fan even going as far as circling the unidentified extra leg to make it a little more obvious.
"Whose legs are these?" they asked, which many X users responded to. "Some people just can do photoshop right," quipped one fan. "You'd think the royal family could hire someone who knows what they're doing," added another, while a few others thought they found the answer to the problem.
Some people hinted that the extra leg is Prince William's as he is wearing long trousers, while Prince Louis is wearing shorts and a pair of sneakers. "Dad's and Louis'. Dad has jeans on and Louis has shorts. It's actually very easy to see if you're not searching for problems/conspiracies," replied one fan. "They are Louis' legs. He is wearing shorts and the trousered legs beside him are his Dad's." "Looks like Prince Louis is wearing short pants. So must be his legs. Duh..." replied another.
Fan Comments On Prince Louis' Apparent 'Missing Finger'
The issue of Prince Louis' missing finger was also addressed on both X and Instagram. "Anyone talking about why Prince Louis is just missing a finger?" asked one fan on Instagram. "It's all Photoshop. Prince Louis is missing a finger. Very bad editing," slammed another fan. "I loved… but they cut off Prince Louis' finger," commented another fan, as another simply asked: "Where's Prince Louis finger?"
However, some fans didn't think Prince Louis' hand was a Photoshop fail at all, and was simply down to the way the young royal positioned his hand. "Look carefully and you will notice that you can see the four fingers separated from the edge of the chair arm and the fifth finger is under the chair arm! How quick you are to criticize without analyzing carefully!" exclaimed one fan.
"He's not missing a finger! His hand is just spread on the arm of the chair. It's not that hard to figure out. Stop creating drama where there isn't any," concurred another, as another added: "His fingers are there just look again."
Kate & William 'Embarrassed' Over Photoshop Fails'
Now that the holiday card has gone viral, reports have come in that Kate Middleton and Prince William are quite "embarrassed." A source told US Weekly that they "were as shocked as everyone else," leading us to believe that they had nothing to do with the alleged photoshop. Then again, Louis simply could've been holding back his finger from the view of the camera. Who knows why children do what they do?
Photographer Josh Shinner wrote on Instagram, "It was such a pleasure to photograph the Prince and Princess of Wales and their family for the Christmas protrait this year. Without doubt one of the most relaxed and enjoyable sittings I've ever had, and now I have a whole new set of jokes that are right on my level thanks to the children..." he continued.
A fan asked what these jokes were, he responded, "Keeping those to myself I'm afraid!" Seems like it was a very chill photo session—so maybe it was just a hidden finger, and not a photoshop fail?
