Comments:  Given that two different versions of this photo exist, one more revealing than the other, it's a safe bet the image has been manipulated. What we can't determine with any certainty is which of the two was the original.

The photograph first appeared in the London Daily Mail on November 10, 2004 under the headline, "Queen Is Exposed to Colonel's Highland Game."  No private parts are visible. The story identified the officer sitting next to the Queen as Colonel Simon West of the 1st Battalion of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. "In his cap, jacket and spats, his hands on his knees and his ankles crossed, he sat proudly in the front row," the article states. "But unlike his comrades, he hadn't taken the time to adjust his sporran and kilt for decency. So the kilt flapped about for all the world to see. And judging by the grin on his face, the colonel knew exactly what he was doing."

An article in the next day's edition of The Mirror reported that the "flap" was unintentional and that Colonel West claimed to be "embarrassed beyond comprehension." An army spokesman confirmed West was wearing no underwear when the photograph was taken.

The more explicit version of the image began circulating via email in late November. The timing would suggest that the later version was the one manipulated, but there is no conclusive evidence either way.

Related:

The Queen, the President and the Flatulent Horse
During a state visit to England, President G.W. Bush goes on a fateful coach ride to Buckingham Palace with the Queen of England and a farting horse.

Sources and further reading:

Queen Is Exposed to Colonel's Highland Game
Daily Mail, 10 November 2004

My Privates Can't Control Themselves
The Mirror, 11 November 2004

Last updated: 02/10/05