The world has been waiting with baited breath for a glimpse of Princess Catherine since she was last seen on Christmas Day. Following planned abdominal surgery in January, and little in the way of news of the Princess since, speculation about her whereabouts and health has been rife. But today some of the conspiracy theories flying around were thrown out, as US site TMZ pictured her in the passenger seat of her mum Carole Middleton's black Audi.
TMZ reported seeing the Princess being driven by her mum near Windsor Castle, although the purpose of their outing remains unclear. In the photo, the Princess looked relaxed, wearing sunglasses and what looked like a high collared jacket, on the trip with Carole Middleton.
Whether today's sighting puts an end to the speculation remains to be seen, however. In an attempt to stop the frankly wild rumours circulating about the Princess, a spokesperson at Kensington Palace recently said: "We were very clear from the outset that the Princess of Wales was out until after Easter, and Kensington Palace would only be providing updates when something was significant." The same spokesperson went on to stress the Princess is 'doing well'.
When was Kate last seen?
Before these pictures emerged today, the last time Princess Catherine was seen in public was on 25 December 2023, when she attended the annual Sandringham church service with Prince William and their three children, George, Charlotte and Louis.
The Princess stunned in a gorgeous all-blue outfit for a Christmas walkabout. At the time, her unique hat was very much a talking point, and definitely helped make it one of her best looks over the years.
When is Kate due to return to public service?
Princess Catherine was admitted to hospital on the 16 January for planned abdominal surgery. Kensington Palace released a statement the following day that read:
'Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales was admitted to hospital yesterday for planned abdominal surgery. 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. Based on the current medical advice, she is unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter.
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.
The Princess of Wales wishes to apologise to all those concerned for the fact that she has to postpone her upcoming engagements. She looks forward to reinstating as many as possible, as soon as possible.'
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Carole Middleton's deep blue jeans look gorgeous with her glowing summer tan - and her brown leather belt is her key accessoryThe Princess of Wales's mum is a fan of a pair of trusty blue jeans, especially for summer
