Kate, Princess of Wales, is “doing well” as she continues her recovery from abdominal surgery, according to a spokesperson for Kensington Palace.
Kate, 42, was photographed on Monday in the passenger seat of a car driven by her mother, Carole Middleton, near Windsor Castle. The photo was not released or authorized by Kensington Palace.
Kate's photo was the first time the mother-of-three and wife of Prince William has appeared in public since undergoing abdominal surgery and a nearly two-week hospital stay in mid-January.
Kate's absence from the public eye, combined with William's recent absence from royal engagements due to a “personal matter,” has led to widespread online speculation about Kate's health.
A palace spokesperson brushed off the social media speculation in a statement to ABC News last week, saying: “Kensington Palace in January clarified the timelines for the princess's recovery and we will only provide important updates. This guidance stands.”
Here's the latest news on Kate's health and what's known to the public.
Kate's last official appearance was on Christmas Day
Kate's last official public appearance was on Christmas Day, when she attended church with members of the royal family.
Kate was seen smiling and greeting fans as she walked to the royal family's traditional Christmas Mass at Sandringham alongside William and their three children, Princes George and Louis and Princess Charlotte.
Wales was joined by other members of the royal family as well, including King Charles III and his wife, Queen Camilla.
Kate underwent abdominal surgery last January
Less than a month after Christmas, on January 17, Kensington Palace announced that Kate had checked into a London clinic the previous day for “planned abdominal surgery.”
The palace did not provide further details about the type of surgery Kate underwent, but confirmed to ABC News at the time that the princess's medical condition was not cancerous.
“The Princess of Wales appreciates the interest this statement will generate,” the palace said in a statement issued on January 17. “She hopes the public will understand her desire to maintain as much normalcy as possible for her children; and her desire.” That her personal medical information remain private.”
The statement continued: “The Princess of Wales would like to apologize to everyone concerned for the fact that she has had to postpone her upcoming engagements.” “It is looking forward to bringing back as many employees as possible as soon as possible.”
William, the heir to the throne, postponed his public engagements while Kate was hospitalized.
He was seen privately popping in and out of the London clinic to visit Kate during her stay. The couple's three children are not believed to have visited Kate in hospital.
Kate is now recovering at home
The palace announced on January 29, about two weeks after Kate underwent surgery, that the princess had been discharged from the hospital.
From there, Kate continued her recovery at the family home in Windsor, about 30 miles outside of London.
A palace spokesperson said in a statement at the time: “The Princess of Wales has returned to her home in Windsor to continue her recovery from surgery. She is making good progress.” “The Prince and Princess would like to extend their sincere thanks to the entire team at the London Clinic, especially the dedicated nursing staff, for the care they provided.”
The spokesman added: “The Wells family remains grateful for the well wishes they have received from around the world.”
Since returning from hospital, Kate has also spent time with her family at Anmer Hall, their home in Norfolk.
William has issued one public statement about Kate's health
After taking time off while Kate was hospitalized, William returned to public duties on 7 February, replacing his father to lead an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle.
Later that day, William joined actor Tom Cruise at a central London hotel for a charity event to raise funds for the London Air Ambulance.
At the ceremony, William made his first and so far only public comments about Kate.
“I would like to take this opportunity to also thank you for your kind messages of support to Catherine and to my parents, especially in recent days,” William said. “It means a lot to all of us.”
William continued to joke, “It's fair to say that the last few weeks have been somewhat 'medicine' focused. So I thought I'd come on air ambulance duty to get away from it all.”
Since then, William has attended the Baftas alone, an event where Kate has traditionally been by his side.
On Tuesday, William sparked speculation after he missed the Thanksgiving Mass for his spiritual father, King Constantine of Greece, at St. George's Church, citing a “personal matter.”
William returned to his public duties on Thursday, visiting the Western Marble Arch Synagogue in London.
Kate has been completely out of the public eye during her recovery, unlike Charles
William's father Charles was briefly hospitalized at a London clinic at the same time as Kate in January.
Charles spent several nights in a London clinic for a planned surgery to treat an enlarged prostate.
Shortly after his release from hospital, Buckingham Palace announced that the 75-year-old royal had been diagnosed with cancer.
The palace did not specify the type of cancer Charles suffers from, the stage of the cancer, or the type of treatment he is receiving.
In contrast to Kate's absence, Charles has made public appearances since his diagnosis, including attending church with Camilla at Sandringham and traveling back and forth to London for treatment.
Last week, the palace released photos of Charles reading some of the cards and letters containing well wishes the palace says the king has received.
Kate's first public appearance may be on or around Easter Day
At the time of the surgery, the palace said Kate was unlikely to resume public duties until later this spring.
In past years, William, Kate and their children have been photographed walking to church on Easter Sunday alongside other members of the royal family.
The royal family will also gather in public on June 8, for the annual Trooping the Color celebration marking the birthday of King Charles III.
The British Ministry of Defense said that Kate will attend this year's celebration, but her attendance has not been confirmed by Kensington Palace.
