The Princess of Wales has been spotted out and about for the first time since undergoing surgery - as she was seen shopping with Prince William near the couple’s home in Windsor over the weekend.
Kate, 42, reportedly appeared “happy” and “well” as she and the Prince of Wales visited Windsor Farm Shop, which is situated on the Royal Estate and is around a mile from Adelaide Cottage.
She then spent Sunday morning watching her young children playing sports, according to The Sun.
A shopper who spotted the Princess at the Windsor Farm Shop on Saturday told the newspaper: “After all the rumours that had been going round I was stunned to see them there.
“Kate was out shopping with William and she looked happy and she looked well.
“The kids weren’t with them but it’s such a good sign she was healthy enough to pop down to the shops.”
The sightings follow weeks of mounting speculation as to the princess’s health.
Kate underwent “planned abdominal surgery” at the London Clinic on January 16. She left the private hospital on January 29 – almost two weeks later – and returned to Adelaide Cottage in Windsor.
Details of her condition have been kept private. Kensington Palace previously said only that it was not cancer-related, and that Kate was not expected to return to official duties until after Easter.
Until the weekend, Kate has only been seen travelling inside a car since her surgery.
To mark Mother’s Day, a photograph of Kate with her children Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis, and Prince George was issued via the Prince and Princess of Wales’ official Twitter account.
But the photo further stoked rumours swirling about the princess’ welfare, where it was revealed the image had been doctored, prompting international picture agencies and the UK’s PA news agency to withdraw it with a rare “kill” notice.
Concerns were raised over a missing part of Princess Charlotte’s sleeve and the misaligned edge of her skirt, with other speculation including the positioning of Kate’s zip.
Kate publicly took the blame and apologised with a statement on social media, saying: “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. I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother’s Day. C.”
Despite calls for the original to be published, Kensington Palace said it would not be reissuing the unedited photograph taken by William of Kate and the couple’s children.
The Palace faced growing pressure over the debacle with the controversy branded damaging to the public’s trust in the royal family.
Palace insiders insisted the “entirely innocent” mistake was an attempt to make the family portrait the best it could be and said Kate hoped the row would die down after her apology.
Friends of the Princess of Wales reportedly said she may speak about her health on future public engagements.
A source told The Sunday Times: “[The Prince and Princess of Wales] are at their most open when out interacting with members of the public and I can see a world in which the princess might discuss her recovery out on engagements. If she was going to do it, that’s how she would do it.”
