Princess Kate Middleton has broken her silence after her abdominal surgery and ongoing recovery.
“Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months,” Kate, 42, shared via Instagram on Sunday, March 10. “Wishing everyone a Happy Mother’s Day.”
Kate signed the personal message with “C,” a nod to the first initial of her full name, Catherine. The social media upload featured a never-before-seen photo of Kate and her three children, Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5, taken by their father, Prince William.
In the snap, Kate is dressed casually in blue jeans as she sits in a chair and wraps her arms around Charlotte and Louis. George stands behind them and loops his arms around his mother’s neck. William, 41, snapped the picture earlier this year, per a photo credit.
Kate’s social media message marks her first public remarks since undergoing her medical procedure in January.
“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,” Kensington Palace said in a statement at the time, noting it was a “planned abdominal” procedure. “Based on the current medical advice, she is unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter.”
The statement continued, “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 will, therefore, only provide updates on Her Royal Highness’ progress when there is significant new information to share.”
Kate has since been recovering at home with William, 41, and their kids doting on her.
“They’ve all made her some ‘get well soon’ cards along with some of her favorite snacks,” a source exclusively told Us Weekly of George, Charlotte and Louis.
As Kate recovered in private, many social media users became curious about her whereabouts after realizing she hadn’t participated in a public outing since December 2023. (She has since been spotted during an early March drive with her mother, Carole Middleton.)
“His focus is on work and not on social media,” a rep for William said in a Wednesday, March 6, statement.
The Prince of Wales canceled several solo January appearances to help Kate recover but has since returned to his duties.
