Royals release new image of Prince Louis taken by Kate Middleton

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LONDON — Kensington Palace has released a photograph of Prince Louis to celebrate his 6th birthday, the first image by the Princess of Wales it has distributed since news organizations, including The Associated Press, withdrew a photo edited by Kate over concerns about digital manipulation.

The photo published on Tuesday was taken by the princess in the last few days, the palace said in a statement. British media reported that the image, which showed the beaming prince in a plaid shirt, had not been edited.

The princess is currently being treated for an undisclosed type of cancer.

Louis, born April 23, 2018, is her youngest child with Prince William, the heir to the throne.

The photo is the first image released by the palace since March, when Kate apologized for the “confusion” caused by her altering of a family photo.

That picture of Kate and her children was intended to calm speculation about the princess’ health after she retreated from public duties following abdominal surgery. But it had the opposite effect, with the online rumour mill going into overdrive after news organizations decided to retract it. Kate later announced that she was being treated for cancer.