Kate Middleton, Prince William shot themselves in foot with edited photo

Prince William and Kate Middleton appeared to court disaster for themselves due to a glaring misstep in the Mother’s Day portrait.

The Prince and Princess of Wales sparked criticism after posting a manipulated image of Kate with her kids to mark the UK Mother’s Day last week.

Among the many errors in the doctored photo was the absence of the princess’ wedding band on her ring finger, fanning the flames of marital troubles between Kate and William.

Speaking to the Daily Beast, a friend of the Waleses expressed confusion over the future Queen’s choice to not wear the wedding ring for her first official photo following prolonged absence since undergoing abdominal surgery.

“They are often seen together at school events, and really it is remarkable how one and often both of them will always be at every match, every music concert and every prize giving,” the friend said.

“The relationship has always seemed incredibly strong despite the immense pressure they are under, so it’s fair to say we were all completely baffled when the picture came out with the wedding ring missing, especially as it was photoshopped.

“It just seemed guaranteed to get people asking questions about the state of the marriage,” they added.