RETOUCHED PHOTOS OF SPAIN'S CROWN PRINCE CREATE OUTCRY

OFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPHS OF SPAIN'S CROWN PRINCE FELIPE AND HIS WIFE LETIZIA HAVE CAUSED A STIR AMID ACCUSATIONS THE THEY HAVE BEEN DIGITALLY ALTERED. THE NEW PORTRAITS WERE RELEASED BY THE ROYAL HOUSEHOLD TOP MARK THE OCCASION OF THE HEIR TO THE THRONE'S RISING TO THE RANKS OF LIEUTENANT COLONEL IN THE ARMY AND AIR FORCE AND FRIGATE CAPTAIN IN THE NAVY. BUT THREE OF THE SIX PHOTOGRAPHS APPEAR TO USE THE SAME SHOT OF THE 42 YEAR OLD PRINCE FELIPE'S FACE JUXTAPOSED ABOVE DIFFERENT UNIFORMS OF THE THREE BRANCHES OF THE ARMED FORCES. HIS FACIAL EXPRESSION AND TILT OF THE HEAD APPEARS TO BE EXACTLY THE SAME IN EACH OF THE PORTRAITS PROMPTING COMMENTATORS TO ACCUSE THE ROYAL PALACE OF ISSUING MANIPULATED IMAGES. SUCH PICTURES 'DEVALUED' THE MONARCHY, COMPLAINED THE SPANISH DAILY NEWSPAPER EL MUNDO, MAKING THE ROYAL FAMILY APPEAR 'UNSERIOUS AND VIRTUAL' AND UNDERMINING ITS AUTHENTICITY. THE POLEMIC HAS CAUSED EMBARRASSMENT FOR ZARZUELA PALACE WHICH HAS BEEN FORCED TO DENY THAT THE OFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPHS, TAKEN BY CATALAN PHOTOGRAPHER DANY VIRGLI, WERE ANYTHING OTHER THAN AUTHENTIC. 'IT IS SIMPLY NOT TRUE', SAID A SPOKESMAN AT THE PALACE. 'THE PHOTOGRAPHER TOOK HUNDREDS OF PHOTOS AND CHOSE THOSE OF SIMILAR POSES.' THE PHOTOGRAPHER INSISTED THERE WERE SUBTLE DIFFERENCES IN EACH OF THE PORTRAITS, 'COMPARED TO THE NAVY PORTRAIT, THE HEAD IS TURNED MORE TO THE LEFT IN THE AIR FORCE SHOT AND IN THE ARMY THE CHIN IS SLIGHTLY HIGHER.' THE OFFICIAL SET ALSO INCLUDED TWO IMAGES OF PRINCESS LETIZIA, ONE BESIDE HER HUSBAND AND ANOTHER ALONE. THEY ARE THE FIRST OFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPHS TO BE RELEASED OF THE PRINCESS OF ASTURIAS SINCE SHE HAD SURGERY ON HER NOSE IN AUGUST 2008 AND THEY TOO APPEARED TO BE AIRBRUSHED TO GIVE THE PRINCESS A 'VERY CLASSICAL AND DISTANT LOOK' ACCORDING TO DAILY NEWSPAPER EL PERIODICO. IT IS NOT THE FIRST TIME SPAIN'S ROYAL FAMILY HAVE BEEN EMBROILED IN A PHOTOGRAPHIC DEBACLE. A CHRISTMAS CARD THEY SENT OUT IN 2005 WAS REVEALED TO BE A PHOTO MONTAGE WITH IMAGES OF THE GRANDCHILDREN SUPERIMPOSED ON TO A PHOTOGRAPH OF KING JUAN CARLOS AND QUEEN SOFIA. THE EXCUSE GIVEN WAS THAT IT HAD BEEN IMPOSSIBLE TO COLLECT THE ENTIRE FAMILY TOGETHER BECAUSE OF 'SCHEDULING DIFFERENCES'.