King Charles is at the center of a political storm after House Democrats released a cropped version of an old photograph cropping him out of a frame featuring Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Bill Gates.
The original image, taken by Getty Images photographer Dominic Lipinski at a 2018 Malaria Summit in London, clearly included him alongside Andrew and Gates.
Instead of using the intact photo in the latest batch of images released by the U.S. House Oversight Committee, Democrats opted for a version with Charles cropped out.
The move sparked confusion online, with critics questioning the editorial choice even as officials emphasized that there is no suggestion of wrongdoing by those appearing in the newly released photos.
The cropped image is one of 19 photos recently shared from the estate of the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, a controversial set that also includes photos of high-profile figures such as Donald Trump and Bill Clinton.
In a striking photo covered by mainstream media, Trump appears with several unidentified women, his face adorned with a plate of novelty condoms and details that have grabbed headlines as the committee pushes for public transparency.
Members of the oversight panel say their trove of tens of thousands of photographs from Epstein’s estate are being released to illuminate the financier’s ties to powerful figures.
Republicans, however, maintain that Democrats are cherry-picking the images to score political points.
Rep. Robert Garcia, the committee’s top Democrat, says the goal is to end what he calls a “White House coverup” and force the Justice Department to release all relevant records.
