The offending photo. Photo: Kensington Palace / via X
International photo agencies have issued removal notices on the image of the first photo of the Princess of Wales released since her abdominal surgery.
The image released by Kensington Palace and taken by Prince William at Windsor earlier this week, shows the princess with her three children.
The photo is accompanied by a Mother's Day message along with a "thank you" from the princess for the public's "continued support".
Associated Press and Reuters have publicly released instructions not to use the photo saying it had been manipulated "at source".
AFP has also removed the image and the Daily Telegraph has Getty as doing the same.
The "kill" notices as they are known are issued by press agencies to alert clients that a story or photo should not be used and withdrawn from circulation.
The princess is not expected to return to public duties before Easter, the BBC reported.
In a message shared on social media, Catherine said: "Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months.
"Wishing everyone a Happy Mother's Day."
The photo shows the princess sitting down, surrounded by Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis and Prince George, wrapping his arms around her.
Catherine, 42, spent 13 nights at the London Clinic, near Regent's Park in central London, following the surgery, the BBC said.
The Palace has shared few details about her condition, which has garnered significant social media speculation, but has said it is not cancer-related.
The team supporting the princess as she recovers is small and limited to those closest to her.
At the time of her stay, the Palace said the princess wanted her personal medical information to remain private, adding that she wanted to "maintain as much normality for her children as possible".
It said it would only provide updates on her recovery when there was significant new information to share.
- RNZ / additional background by the BBC