Blake Lively has issued an apology after she joined in on the jokes surrounding Princess Catherine's photo editing before it was revealed that the Princess has cancer.
As widely reported, The Princess of Wales released a video message on Friday, in which she informed the public that she has been diagnosed with cancer.
Prior to the announcement, rumors about her whereabouts were rife on social media as before she was sighted at a farm shop near her Windsor home, she hadn't been spotted since Christmas.
Watch Princess Catherine's video message below:
Amongst those genuinely concerned about the Princess, people were also poking fun and offering wild theories about what could be going on.
Speculation was fueled further when Princess Catherine uploaded a Mother's Day photo that had been edited, which she later admitted doing herself.
Celebrities also joined in with the rumors and making light of the situation, including Blake Lively who has since offered her apologies.
Lively, 36, faced criticism from fans after she promoted her drinks range on March 13th, making a quip about the photo-editing controversy surrounding the Mother's Day photo.
"I’m so excited to share this new photo I just took today to announce our 4 new @bettybuzz & @bettybooze products! Now you know why I’ve been MIA," Lively wrote in her now-deleted post.
However, amidst Princess Catherine's announcement of her health crisis, Lively took to Instagram to express remorse, stating: "I'm sure no one cares today but I feel I have to acknowledge this. I made a silly post around the 'photoshop fails' frenzy and, oh, man, that post has me mortified today.
"Sending love and well wishes to all, always".
Lively is just one of several celebrities who faced criticism for their remarks about Princess Catherine's recent absence from public life. Others, including Kim Kardashian, Andy Cohen, and John Oliver, made light of the situation without retracting their comments following the Princess's announcement.
Kardashian, in particular, faced backlash for an Instagram post speculating about Princess Catherine's whereabouts, which was posted just days before the Royal revealed her diagnosis. Despite criticism from followers, at the time of writing, the post - which she captioned "On my way to go find Kate", remains active.
Following the heartbreaking video message, a statement was released on behalf of King Charles III, saying: "His Majesty is so proud of Catherine for speaking as she did. His Majesty has remained in the closest contact with his beloved daughter-in-law.
"Both Their Majestys will continue to offer their love and support to the family at this time."
King Charles is also undergoing treatment for cancer, as he was diagnosed earlier this year.
Our thoughts remain with Princess Catherine and King Charles.