Princess Kate shares first photo since abdominal surgery

Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales, appeared on Sunday in her first official photo since she underwent abdominal surgery in January.

Her notable absence from public appearances has spurred far-fetched rumors online about her whereabouts and provoked questions about her wellbeing.

In the photo, Middleton sits in an armchair, flanked by two children, with the third appearing above her, embracing his mother from behind.

“Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months,” the statement from the official Kensington Palace profile on X, formerly Twitter, read.

“Wishing everyone a Happy Mother’s Day. C,” the statement continued, signing off with the first initial of her full name, Catherine.

Very little information has been released about the princess’s condition, and Sunday’s statement provided no new details.

At the time of the planned procedure, Kensington Palace said the surgery was successful and that she was to remain in the hospital for 10 to 14 days before returning home to continue her recovery.

The statement in January suggested she was “unlikely to return to public duties” until after Easter, in late March.

“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,” the statement read.

The Associated Press and other photo agencies subsequently retracted the photo, citing concerns that the photo had apparently been manipulated. The agencies demanded that news outlets remove the photo from all platforms.

Updated at 9:57 pm.