The Princess of Wales has apologised “for any confusion” her photograph may have caused, after five picture agencies retracted the image over editing concerns.

Catherine, in a statement posted on Kensington Palace social media on Monday night, said: “Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing.”

Tweet from @KensingtonRoyal

In what is rapidly building as a major royal scandal, the photo agencies including PA, Getty Images, AFP, Reuters and Associated Press, took the extraordinary move to issue kill orders just hours after Kensington Palace released the picture.

The photo was published on the Prince and Princess of Wales’ social media on Sunday, to mark Mother’s Day in Britain.

Taken by Kate’s husband, Prince William, it shows a smiling princess, 42, with children Princes George and Louis and Princess Charlotte.

“Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months,” she said in the post.

“Wishing everyone a Happy Mother’s Day. C.”

The palace’s strategy of finally releasing a picture of the recuperating Kate, who has not been seen in public since the royals went to church at Sandringham on Christmas Day, appears to have backfired in epic style.

Conspiracy theories have ranged across the internet since Kate’s unplanned abdominal surgery was revealed.

She spent two weeks in the London Clinic after her operation on January 16, before returning to the family’s home on the Windsor Castle estate to recuperate.

Details of the princess’s condition have not been revealed but Kensington Palace previously said it was not cancer-related and that Kate wanted her personal medical information to remain private.

It said there would be updates only when there was something major to report, and that Kate would return to royal duties after Easter.