Key Points
- Kate Middleton has been spotted in public for the first time since December.
- The Princess of Wales is on a break from royal duties until after Easter as she recovers from an abdominal surgery.
- Images and videos published by The Sun show Kate with her husband, Prince William, at Windsor Farm shop.
Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales, has been spotted in public for the first time since December amid speculation over her whereabouts and wellbeing.
In January, Kensington Palace announced the princess had undergone abdominal surgery and would be absent from public duties until after Easter.
On Saturday, she was seen at Windsor Farm shop with her husband, Prince William.
Photographs and video clips taken by an onlooker and published by tabloid outlets The Sun and TMZ appear to show the couple wearing casual clothes and carrying shopping bags as they walk through the shop’s car park.
No date has been given for Kate’s return to public duties.
Social media users and tabloids have been speculating about the whereabouts and wellbeing of the princess in recent weeks.
Kensington Palace has not provided public updates about her health as she recovers from surgery, and she has not been spotted out publicly since December.
When the palace confirmed she had undergone a procedure, the statement said updates would only be provided when there was “significant new information to share”.
“The Princess of Wales appreciates the interest this statement will generate,” Kensington Palace added.
“She hopes that the public will understand her desire to maintain as much normality for her children as possible; and her wish that her personal medical information remains private.”
The appearance at Windsor Farm Shop comes a week after an .
News agencies including Getty, Reuters, the Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and the Press Association withdrew the image post-publication as it did not meet their editorial standards.
Analysis showed the image had been manipulated, with experts and social media sleuths highlighting several inconsistencies and signs of editing in the photo.
An apology was later published on the Prince and Princess of Wales’ X account.
“Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing,” the message said.
“I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused. I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother’s Day. C”
