LONDON: Kensington Palace released the first official image of Princess Kate on social media on Sunday, nearly 2 months after her abdominal surgery, during which she has stayed out of the public eye.
The 42-year-old princess has been recovering mainly at her home in Windsor, west of London, since discharging from hospital on January 29.
The picture shows the Princess of Wales sitting on a garden chair, dressed in jeans, a sweater and a dark jacket, smiling, surrounded by her 3 laughing children, Charlotte, George, and Louis.
In a caption with the photo on X, she expressed her gratitude to her well-wishers for their kind wishes and continued support over the last two months. The princess also wished a Happy Mother’s Day.
In a statement the palace clarified that the image was taken in Windsor earlier this week by Kate’s husband, Prince William, AFP reported.
The family photo is the first official image of Kate published by the royal family since her hospitalisation at the London Clinic on January 16 for abdominal surgery.
The future queen was last seen in public during a Christmas Day walk in Sandringham, eastern England.
Photos published by TMZ earlier this month showed the princess wearing sunglasses while being driven in a car, with the celebrity news site reporting they were taken Monday near Windsor Castle.
UK media organizations including the Daily Mail and The Sun have chosen not to publish the pictures.
The sighting came after a flurry of conspiracy theories on social media platforms over the famously dutiful and hard-working princess’s absence from the spotlight.
Speculation About Princess Kate
The speculation came despite Kensington Palace clearly stating at the time of her surgery that she would be unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter.
The palace also said the surgery was not related to cancer.
Her hospitalization came almost simultaneously with the announcement that Prince William’s father, King Charles, had been admitted for surgery for a benign prostate condition and subsequently diagnosed with an unrelated cancer.
Charles visited his daughter-in-law’s bedside after being admitted himself on January 26.
The king withdrew from public duties during his cancer treatment, though he attended church services and held his weekly audience with the prime minister.
