Princess Kate Middleton stepped out looking “happy” with Prince William amid continued speculation about her wellbeing.
The Princess of Wales, 42, was spotted at the Windsor Farm Shop on Saturday, March 16, according to U.K. newspaper The Sun. The outlet (along with TMZ) later published photos from the outing, with Kate smiling alongside William, 41. Onlookers told both outlets that she appeared “happy, relaxed and healthy.”
Kate and William also reportedly spent that morning watching their kids — Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5 — partake in various sporting activities.
Kate has remained largely out of the public eye since December 2023, undergoing abdominal surgery the following month. Kensington Palace announced in January that Kate won’t be involved in any royal engagements until after Easter.
“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,” read a statement shared via the palace’s official X account. “Based on the current medical advice, she is unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter.”
William, meanwhile, took a brief break as well to help Kate recuperate before resuming his own public duties. A source previously told Us Weekly that Kate wasn’t planning to share details about her operation yet. “She’s been resting up and enjoying lots of visits from Prince William and the kids,” the insider said, noting that Kate “may disclose more information in due course.”
However, rumors subsequently started to swirl about Kate’s disappearance from the spotlight. William fueled the chatter when he didn’t attend a service of Thanksgiving at St. George’s Chapel honoring his godfather, King Constantine of Greece, in late February for undisclosed “personal reasons.”
Kate’s rep released a public statement shutting down the social media theories — and memes — at the time. “Kensington Palace made it clear in January the timelines of the princess’ recovery and we’d only be providing significant updates. That guidance stands,” the statement said.
Kate was spotted a handful of times throughout the month in blurry photos. She was seen in the passenger’s seat while her mother, Carole Middleton, drove them on March 4. Kate was also photographed in a car with William on March 11
The chatter escalated when Kate released a photo of her and her kids on Mother’s Day. Several photo agencies later claimed the photo appeared to have been manipulated and it was pulled by several outlets. Instagram has also placed a warning alongside the bottom of the image about it being altered.
Kate issued a public statement of her own on March 11 to address the photo editing scandal, writing via X, “Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing. I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused.”
A second insider discussed Kate and William’s response to the fan frenzy, saying, “Kate’s said she feels she’s entitled to heal and recuperate without all of this frenzied speculation. Neither Kate nor William think her medical records should be for public consumption.”
The source added: “A few of Kate’s senior staffers haven’t been able to see or speak to her, and they didn’t even know about the surgery until it was announced, so it’s caught them off guard.”
