Sunday marked almost two months after Princess Kate had her abdominal surgery, during which time she remained hidden from the public, when Kensington Palace posted her first official portrait to social media.
After leaving the hospital on January 29, the 42-year-old princess, whose husband Prince William is the heir apparent to the British throne, has been recuperating mostly at their home in Windsor, west of London.
The image features the Princess of Wales grinning while seated on a garden chair, clad in dark jacket, sweater, and jeans, and flanked by her three giggling kids, George, Charlotte, and Louis.
“Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months,” a message accompanying the photo that was said on X said.“Wishing everyone a Happy Mother’s Day,” said the message, which was signed “C” for Catherine.
The palace made it clear in a statement that Kate’s husband, Prince William, took the picture “in Windsor earlier this week”.
The family portrait is the first that the royal family has publicly posted of Kate since she was admitted to the hospital on January 16 in order to have stomach surgery.
She attended the royal family’s Christmas liturgy at Sandringham, her final public appearance.
Images of Kate wearing sunglasses while being driven in a car were released by TMZ earlier in March. The celebrity news website stated that the pictures were taken on Monday close to Windsor Castle.
UK media outlets including the Daily Mail and The Sun have chosen not to publish the photos.
The sighting came after a flurry of conspiracy theories on social media over the famously hard-working and dutiful princess’s absence from the spotlight.
The speculation came despite Kensington Palace clearly saying at the time of her surgery that she would be “unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter”.
It also said the surgery was not related to cancer.
Kate’s hospitalisation came almost simultaneously with the announcement that William’s father, King Charles, had been admitted for surgery for a benign prostate condition and subsequently diagnosed with an unrelated cancer.
During his treatment, the 75-year-old king abstained from public obligations, although he continued to attend church services and his weekly session with the prime minister.
Known by most as Kate, the princess is one of the most well-liked members of the royal family.
Since the king’s brother Prince Andrew stood down due to his relationship with the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, and his younger brother Prince Harry and his wife Meghan moved for the United States in 2020, she and William have assumed greater royal obligations.
