Kate Middleton was pictured Monday near Windsor Castle on the outskirts of London – the first time the royal has been seen in months.
The Princess of Wales has remained out of the public eye since December, when she attended church services with her family.
Kensington Palace announced on Jan. 17 that Middleton was hospitalized for a planned abdominal surgery, and would not be able to resume public duties until after Easter.
Kate Middleton was seen for the first time in months after January hospitalization. (Backgrid)
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Middleton, 42, sat in the passenger seat of a vehicle driven by her mother, Carole. She wore a pair of circular sunglasses over her eyes.
The Palace did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
On Thursday, a spokesperson for Kensington Palace, which handles the household for the Prince and Princess of Wales, told Fox News Digital: “Kensington Palace made it clear in January the timelines of the Princess’ recovery and we’d only be providing significant updates. The guidance in January stands that the Princess would be recuperating at home in Windsor.”
The spokesperson reiterated the princess is “doing well.”
Kate Middleton was last pictured in public on Christmas Day. (Getty Images)
The statement came amid a flurry of conspiracy theories that emerged on sites like X, formerly known as Twitter, and TikTok, with users speculating about the royal’s whereabouts and health condition. The hashtag #WhereisKate previously went viral on the social media platforms.
In January, the palace announced, “Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales was admitted to The London Clinic yesterday for planned abdominal surgery. The surgery was successful and it is expected that she will remain in hospital for ten to fourteen days, before returning home to continue her recovery.”
“The Princess of Wales appreciates the interest this statement will generate. 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,” Kensington Palace said.
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“The Princess of Wales wishes to apologise to all those concerned for the fact that she has to postpone her upcoming engagements. She looks forward to reinstating as many as possible, as soon as possible.”