London, UK - Kate Middleton hoped to squash swirling speculation over her health with a family photo, but the effort evidently backfired. Now, a royal insider has revealed why she may have decided to take the blame for the photoshop fail.

The Princess of Wales has been dominating headlines for weeks after questions about her whereabouts sparked viral conspiracy theories.

Things only worsened when the 42-year-old shared a photo of herself with her three children in honor of Mother's Day in the UK in a seeming attempt to control the narrative.

However, the snapshot contained several inconsistencies: Kate's right hand appeared partially blurred, Charlotte's left sleeve looked retouched, and there were double structures and blurred edges in the background.

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Several international news agencies withdrew the photo as a result, and there were even rumors that the image had been created by artificial intelligence.

In order to avoid another PR disaster, Kate publicly took the blame, claiming that she was merely experimenting with editing as an "amateur photographer." But is this really the truth?

According to a royal insider, the decision may be connected to a tragic chapter in Prince William and Kate's past.

Richard Eden, who often writes about the royal family for the Daily Mail, suspects Kate may have taken the fall because of a nasty prank pulled shortly before the birth of Prince George.

"I am told that William and Kate are still 'haunted' by the tragic death of a nurse at a hospital where Catherine was being treated in 2012," the royal commentator speculated.

Jacintha Saldanha worked in a private clinic in London and received a prank call in 2012 from a duo of Australian presenters pretending to be the late Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles.

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Jacintha fell for it and chatted openly about Kate's health, and a recording of the call led to widespread media coverage of her answers.

Three days later, Jacintha was found dead in her apartment from an apparent suicide.

"Friends of William and Catherine tell me Ms. Saldanha's death left a deep impression on them," Eden told the Daily Star. "The tragedy made the couple even more determined that no one working for them should ever be publicly humiliated."

Eden encouraged sympathy for the elusive Princess, adding, "She must feel under intense pressure now whenever she's going to be seen in public."

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