Kate Middleton has reportedly stepped out again amid her recovery from her January abdominal surgery.
The Princess of Wales was spotted at a farm shop with husband Prince William a mile from their Windsor home on Sunday, The Sun reported. According to the report, eyewitnesses described her as looking “happy, relaxed and healthy.” ET has not independently confirmed this sighting. The Sun further reported the royal parents watched their three children — Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5 — play sports that morning.
“After all the rumors that had been going round I was stunned to see them there,” an unnamed eyewitness at the shop told The Sun.
The sighting comes a week after she was photographed in a car with the future king of England on March 11. A royal source told ET that the princess of Wales was on her way to a private appointment. However, new images of Middleton have come under heightened scrutiny after — through which she addressed her hospitalization for the first time — spurred speculation that it had been manipulated. The Associated Press retracted the photo as it did not meet their standards and the princess later admitted to altering the picture.
“Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing,” Kate wrote in a statement posted on X. “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.”
As for the newer photo of her in the car, the photo agency denied fan theories that the picture had also been manipulated, telling ET that while the “image has been cropped and lightened, nothing has been doctored.”
Photographer Jim Bennett further explained how he ended up taking the picture, revealing that he was attempting to photograph Prince William before the Commonwealth Day Service when he realized Middleton was also in the car.
“The cars left Windsor Castle and I photographed them a short distance away on Datchet High Street — outside No.39 to be precise! Car shots are unpredictable at the best of times, and with some reflection on the glass, it can be difficult,” he said. “As it happened, it wasn’t until I checked on the back of the camera to make sure I had a frame of Prince William that I realized there was someone sitting next to him. It turned out to be Catherine!”
But when can royal fans expect to see Middleton making official public appearances again? The palace previously said that Middleton “is unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter,” which comes on March 31.
