An image shared on Facebook purports to show a portrait of Prince George and Princess Charlotte of Wales.
Verdict: False
The claim is false. A content detection scan using the website “Hive Moderation” reveals that the image has been generated using artificial intelligence (AI). A media forensics and AI expert confirmed the image is AI-generated in an email to Check Your Fact.
Fact Check:
Five news agencies, including The Associated Press, have retracted a photo of Duchess Kate Middleton and her children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, over concerns the image is “manipulated,” according to BBC News. The retraction prompted Middleton to issue an apology on social media, The Associated Press reported.
The Facebook image, which has garnered 82,000 likes, purports to show a portrait of Prince George and Princess Charlotte of Wales. “Prince George and Princess Charlotte, the picture is lovely,” the image’s caption reads. In the image, Prince George wears a navy blue suit and matching tie while Princess Charlotte wears a white dress.
The claim is false, however. A content detection scan using the website “Hive Moderation” reveals the image has been generated using AI. The results of the same scan indicate the image was likely generated with the program, Midjourney. Check Your Fact reviewed the image and found details that suggest the image is not authentic. Prince George appears to only have four fingers on his visible hand and Princess Charlotte’s left arm appears swollen.
Deformed, missing, or extra fingers are often a tell-tale sign an image is AI-generated, according to BuzzFeed News.
Screenshot captured via Hive Moderation
Likewise, Check Your Fact did not find the image referenced in any recent credible news reports about the Royal Family. In fact, the opposite is true. The U.K.-based outlet Full Fact also reported the image is AI-generated in a Mar. 7 article. (RELATED: Facebook Video Makes False Claim About British Police Allegedly Harassing Christian Preachers)
Additionally, the image neither appears on Kensington Palace’s website nor its verified social media accounts.
Dr. Walter Scheirer, a media forensics and AI expert at the University of Notre Dame, confirmed the image is AI-generated in an email to Check Your Fact.
“This image is representative of the cartoon-style of synthesis commonly produced by generative AI. There are also visible artifacts, such as the malformed thumb on the girl’s hand,” Scheirer said.
Check Your Fact has also contacted Kensington Palace for comment and will update this piece accordingly if one is received.