Kate Middleton photo: PA withdraws Mother's Day picture following foreign news agencies AP, Reuters and AFP

The controversy over an allegedly doctored photograph of the Princess of Wales and hr children released on Mother's Day continues after UK news agency PA became the sixth agency to announce it was withdrawing the image from its picture service.

It comes after foreign news agencies such as AP, Reuters, Getty and AFP all issued a 'kill order' on the image, in which outlets were asked not to use the image in editorial coverage due to alleged "manipulation" of the photograph. PA previously said that it would not be killing the image until it had received clarification from Kensington Palace, which has as of yet declined to comment on the controversy.

A spokesperson for the UK-based news agency said: “Like other news agencies, PA Media issued the handout image provided by Kensington Palace of the Princess of Wales and her children in good faith yesterday. We became aware of concerns about the image and we carried a report about it last night, and made clear that we were seeking urgent clarification about the image from Kensington Palace. In the absence of that clarification, we are killing the image from our picture service.”

The image, which shows Kate flanked by her three children spread on social media after users pointed out several alleged examples of faulty photo editing, with some even accusing the palace of releasing an "AI-generated" image. It has fuelled online speculation over the Princess of Wales' wellbeing and whereabout following her abdominal surgery in January.

Examples given of possible manipulation of the image include photoshop errors on Princess Charlotte's wrist, Prince Louis's fingers and questions over Kate's hands and her missing wedding and engagement rings. Prince William, who is due to attend a Commonwealth Day service alongside Queen Camilla today (March 11) previously spoke out about the speculation, telling People Magazine that he was "on his work and not on social media".