The internet might be abuzz over Princess Kate Middleton’s recent Photoshop snafu, but Prince William only has glowing things to say about his wife’s art skills.
William, 41, spent time at the new charity facility WEST Youth Zone on Thursday, March 14 and gave a shout-out to Kate, 42, as he decorated cookies with a group of young participants. When complimented on his frosting design, William responded, “It’s really not impressive work. My wife is the arty one, my children are artier than I am.”
His comment comes on the heels of scrutiny over a recent edited family picture Kate shared via Instagram and X on Sunday, March 10. The photo in question was killed by several news agencies, claiming it had been “manipulated” by the source. No replacement was sent out following the pull.
In response, Kate released a statement the following day, writing, “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.”
The image controversy only further kicked up the rumor mill surrounding Kate, which began buzzing after Kensington Palace announced that she would be undergoing abdominal surgery in mid-January. Little else was revealed about the surgery and the statement indicated that Kate wouldn’t attend any public events until after Easter.
A source exclusively revealed in the new issue of Us Weekly that Kate wants to keep details about her condition as “private as possible” and doesn’t intend to share updates with the public anytime soon.
“Kate’s said she feels she’s entitled to heal and recuperate without all of this frenzied speculation,” a source told Us. “Neither Kate nor William think her medical records should be for public consumption.”
The princess is reportedly trying to avoid all the gossip and is currently covered by a “shroud of secrecy,” the insider added, with even those who work closely with her out of the loop on what’s happening. “A few of Kate’s senior staffers haven’t been able to see or speak to her, and they didn’t even know about the surgery until it was announced, so it’s caught them off guard.”
The source maintains that the royal is “extremely keen” to return to work, adding, “This has been one of the most challenging months for Kate as a royal, and she’s praying the fuss dies down as soon as possible.”