The paparazzo who snapped the pic of Kate Middleton riding alongside Prince William in a car Monday is speaking out to quash online conspiracy theories that the photo was doctored.

“We don’t change our photos in Photoshop other than adjusting the light levels if necessary,” photographer Jim Bennett told The Post.

Bennett said he and a partner were hired by a news outlet to get a shot of Prince William heading to Westminster Abbey for a royal event.

“The cars left Windsor Castle and I photographed them a short distance away on Datchet High Street — outside No. 39, to be precise!” he said. “Car shots are unpredictable at the best of times and with some reflection on the glass, it can be difficult.”

He added: “As it happened, it wasn’t until I checked on the back of the camera to make sure I had a frame of Prince William that I realized there was someone sitting next to him. It turned out to be Catherine!”

Bennett’s account addresses speculation that Middleton’s silhouette was edited into the photo – and clears up the misconception that the image was released by the royal family.

Instead, it was taken by a professional photographer and then syndicated in the US by the photo agency GoffPhotos.

Sleuths have compared the profile of Middleton in Bennett’s photo to a shot of the princess at a 2016 ceremony, speculating that she was edited into the new photo alongside her husband.

Others have noted inconsistencies with the pattern of bricks seen above the car and through its windows.

However the Datchet High Street address provided by Bennett also seems to debunk suspicions of forgery.

Though the grouting between the bricks does appear inconsistent in the photo, closer inspection of the building shows an outer brick wall at car level, which has notably different grouting than what is visible on the building itself higher up.

Suspicions about the veracity of the photo were fueled by Middleton’s admission Monday that she edited the now-infamous UK Mother’s Day photo shared over the weekend.

Breaking down Kate Middleton's Photoshop fail

• On Monday, Kensington Palace released a new photo and statement from Kate Middleton for UK Mother’s Day. Eagle-eyed fans immediately saw the photo — showing Kate surrounded by her three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis — was littered with mistakes, either from Photoshop or AI.
• The photo, the original of which Kensington Palace refuses to release, was quickly recalled by photo agencies over fears it had been digitally “manipulated.”
• Middleton issued an apology Monday after her photo went viral for its numerous Photoshop errors. “Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing,” she said.

3

• One major telltale sign of manipulation was that a portion of Charlotte’s wrist seems to be missing from under the chopped-off sleeve of her cardigan. Charlotte’s checkered skirt likewise does not line up, with the right edge sticking out at a strange right angle and overlapping with George’s hands.
• Another unusual detail that raised questions about the image’s veracity is Prince Louis’ crossed fingers on his right hand — and a seemingly fuzzy and broken pattern on the right sleeve of his gray sweater.
• 10 clues that gave away Kate Middleton’s family photo editing fails
• Middleton spotted leaving Windsor Castle with Prince William after post-surgery Photoshop fail
• All the conspiracy theories surrounding Kate Middleton’s whereabouts post-surgery

That image has sparked massive questions about the Princess of Wales’ wellbeing following abdominal surgery in January.