King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands made a cheeky jibe at Kate’s Mother’s Day photo gaffe after a little girl spoke to him about his own family portrait.
During a royal engagement in Zutphen, one of the country’s oldest cities, the monarch was speaking to a crowd of schoolchildren dressed in paper crowns when a young girl told him about a photo of him with his entire family.
And the nimble king laughed – and said: ‘At least I didn’t photoshop it!’ to audience giggles.
It comes as William and Kate continue to face intense scrutiny after the princess publicly apologized and admitted to digitally editing a family portrait taken by her husband and released by Kensington Palace to mark Mother’s Day last Sunday.
On Monday, Kate publicly took the blame for the doctored family photo released by Kensington Palace when she issued a personal apology for the “confusion”.
The Dutch Telegraph (De Telegraaf) said the king’s joke was a “striking moment during a working visit by King Willem-Alexander in Zutphen, where he appears to joke about Kate-gate”.
On Sunday, Kensington Palace released the first photo of the Princess of Wales since the operation
During a royal engagement in Zutphen, one of the country’s oldest cities, the monarch was speaking to a crowd of schoolchildren dressed in paper crowns when a young girl told him about a photo of him with his entire family
The nimble king laughed – and said: ‘At least I didn’t photoshop it!’ to audience giggles
William and Kate were spotted leaving Windsor for Westminster Abbey yesterday afternoon
The Dutch royal family hired their dog Mambo to be included in their Christmas photo shoot this year
Kate apologized in a statement on social media which read: ‘Like many amateur photographers I occasionally experiment with editing.
‘I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion caused by the family photo we shared yesterday. I hope everyone who celebrated had a very happy Mother’s Day. C.’
The photograph of Kate and her children, taken by William, was the first to be released since the princess’ stomach surgery and was released by the palace to mark Mother’s Day.
It was issued in part to quell conspiracy theories about Kate, who had not been seen at a royal event since Christmas Day or after her operation.
But it was withdrawn with a ‘Kill’ notice by international picture agencies hours later, and the UK’s PA news agency on Monday, amid suspicions it had been tampered with.
The saga intensified speculation about Kate, her health and her whereabouts, and raised questions about whether images released by Kensington Palace could be trusted.
Royal sources said the princess made “minor adjustments” and that Kate and William wanted to provide an informal picture of the family together for Mother’s Day.
Kate was later seen leaving Windsor in a car with William as he was driven to the Commonwealth Day service. The princess did not attend the service, but had a private appointment.
In December, Queen Máxima and King Willem-Alexander released their festive family portraits for 2023 – and they even got their dog, Mambo, to join them.
A part of the family! Mambo posed perfectly for a family photo together with Princess Amalia, King Willem-Alexander, Queen Máxima, Princess Ariane and Princess Alexia
The adorable white miniature poodle almost seems to be smiling with his family as they pose for portraits in front of the Christmas tree at Huis ten Bosch Palace.
In a full family photo, 20-year-old Crown Princess Amalia, the eldest of the couple’s three children, holds Mambo in her arms while wearing a scarlet coat.
Another snap showed Queen Máxima fawning over the poodle as she was held up by the king, who can’t stop smiling.
The shoot appeared to be held on a windy day, with the Dutch queen’s thick blonde locks appearing to be blown by the wind in some pictures.
The family looked to co-ordinate their looks by each choosing a winter coat from a complementary color palette – with Alexia opting for navy blue while Ariane chose jade green.
Meanwhile, the heir to the throne, Crown Princess Amalia, looked regal in red.
The eldest of the three sisters celebrated her 20th birthday last month and thanked royal fans for their well wishes on Instagram.
Via the Dutch palace’s account, the Princess of Orange said: ‘Many thanks for all the congratulations I received on the occasion of my 20th birthday.
Queen Máxima beamed as she held Mambo – while a gust of wind appeared to blow her thick blonde locks
Queen Máxima swooned over her dog as he was held up by King Willem-Alexander
With Mambo tucked into her chest, Queen Maxima laughed as she was caught in a gust of wind while Ariane and Alexia fixed her hair
‘All the heartwarming messages made my day even more special.’
It has been a turbulent few years for the heir to the throne, who is currently studying at university – but is no longer allowed to live in student accommodation after potential kidnapping plots were revealed.
Speaking during a Dutch royal tour of the Caribbean earlier this year, the Princess of Orange opened up about missing ‘normal life, the life of a student’ after a security threat meant she had to move back to her home in The Hague for just a few weeks. after she was enrolled at the university.
She said: ‘I will be very honest, I still find it very difficult.
‘I miss the normal life, the life of a student. Walking in the street, could go in a shop.’
Meanwhile, she said she had enjoyed getting some freedom back during the international tour, saying: ‘I had a wonderful time.’
In October, Dutch news agency ANP quoted Queen Maxima, 51, during a state visit to Sweden with her husband King Willem-Alexander, saying: ‘She can hardly leave the house.
‘The consequences are very difficult for her. There is no student life for her that others have,” she added with unusually great emotional openness.
The name of the princess, along with that of former Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, is believed to have come up in communications among organized crime groups, who indicated they may be in their crosshairs for kidnapping.
‘I am very sorry for her and of course I am very concerned about it,’ the prime minister said, without giving details of the threats or the security measures.