Whoopi Goldberg is on Princess Kate Middleton’s side amid the royal photo controversy seen around the world. The EGOT winner supported the royal after speculation that the Mother’s Day photo she posted online was manipulated.
“I’m sorry, I know very few people who don’t manipulate their own photos,” Whoopi, 68, told her colleagues on The View on Monday, March 11. “I mean all you gotta do is swipe — none of those people look like those people look.”
Both Sara Haines and Sunny Hostin argued that the “future queen” should not post edited photos online.
“You know what, I have to tell you. She may be the future queen, [but] she’s still an amateur photographer,” Whoopi said. “That’s what they do!”
The Sister Act star went on to say that she has had several of her own photos edited in publications over the years.
“I know this is going to shock you all, but I have been on the cover of magazines with no lines on my face, with my color lightened up,” she said. “I have seen photographs that people take and I end up with a donkey nose on my face. People can do anything they want to do with pictures — this should not be a shock.”
Kate, 42, shared the picture of herself with her three kids, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, to celebrate U.K.’s Mother’s Day on March 10. After the photo, which was snapped by Prince William, was posted, people began speculating that the picture was doctored. Kate ended up responding to the questions and rumors.
“Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing,” Kate wrote on the Kensington Palace X account on Monday, March 11. “I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused. I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother’s Day. C.”
Kate previously underwent abdominal surgery in January. Since then, she’s been largely keeping out of the public eye amid her recovery and “is unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter.” The princess was publicly seen for the first time last week when she was photographed during a car ride with her mom, Carole Middleton, near Windsor Castle.
After the photo controversy, Kate was seen during another rare appearance while leaving Windsor Castle with William, 41, on Monday. Interest in Kate’s whereabouts and recovery has increased on social media over the past few weeks. On February 27, the palace confirmed Kate was “doing well” in a statement to People.
