The first official photograph of the Princess of Wales to be released after her abdominal surgery two months ago has been recalled by some of the world’s biggest picture agencies over claims it had been manipulated.

The image, released to mark Mother’s Day in the UK, shows Catherine sitting on a chair surrounded by her three children. It is the first authorised picture of her since Christmas.

After its release, the photo was recalled by photo agencies including Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters, which put out a “kill notice” to halt their distribution of the picture.

“At closer inspection, it appears that the source has manipulated the image,” the AP notice said. A spokesperson for AP told the Telegraph: “The photo shows an inconsistency in the alignment of Princess Charlotte’s left hand.”

AFP said: “Mandatory kill. Due to an editorial issue this photo by the Prince of Wales has been withdrawn … and may no longer by used in any manner. Please immediately remove it from all your online services, stop using it in any other fashion and delete it from your servers.”

Speculation and conspiracy theories have grown since Catherine has been out of the public eye recovering from the planned abdominal operation in January, when it was said she was expected to be recuperating until around Easter.

The photo was posted to the Prince and Princess of Wales’ social media accounts on Sunday morning, along with a message thanking well-wishers for their support.

“Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months,” the message read. “Wishing everyone a Happy Mother’s Day. C.”

Kensington Palace said the image was taken in Windsor earlier this week by the Prince of Wales.

Details of the princess’s condition have not been revealed, but Kensington Palace previously said it was not cancer-related and that Catherine wished her personal medical information to remain private.

Kensington Palace has declined to comment.