Duchess Kate meets for the first time in 2 months after surgery

royal family

by caroline blair

This is the first time Duchess Kate has been seen in more than two months since undergoing abdominal surgery.

The 42-year-old Princess of Wales was photographed sitting in the passenger seat of a black Audi SUV on Monday as her mother Carole Middleton drove near Windsor Castle.

While out and about, Kate tried to keep a low profile by wearing black sunglasses and letting her hair down.

Her mother, on the other hand, was staring straight ahead with an indifferent look on her face.

It's unclear where they were going, but it appears that a mother and daughter duo were in the car.

Duchess Kate has made her first public appearance since Dec. 25, 2023, wearing shades of blue with Prince William and their three children at a Christmas morning event at St. Mary Magdalene Church in Norfolk, England. It was not photographed.

Less than a month later, Kensington Palace announced that Kate had undergone a “planned abdominal surgery” on January 16, 2024.

“The surgery was successful and he will remain in the hospital for 10 to 14 days before returning home to continue his recovery,” a statement shared to Instagram on Jan. 17 read.

The statement also said she was “unlikely to return to public service until after Easter” on March 31 this year.

But Duchess Kate's whereabouts became a trending topic late last week after Prince William avoided the memorial service for the late Greek King Constantine II for undisclosed “personal reasons.”

A Kensington Palace spokesperson told Page Six at the time that Kate was “doing well”, but the internet buzz continued.

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Kate's rep later told Page Six exclusively that she is still “fine” and plans to continue her recovery.

“Kensington Palace revealed the Princess's recovery schedule in January and we will only provide important updates,” her representative said on February 29. “The guidelines are valid.”

At around the same time the palace announced Duchess Kate's health ordeal, it also announced that Charles III was undergoing routine prostate surgery.

Buckingham Palace would later reveal that the king had been diagnosed with cancer, but did not provide details about the stage or type.

“I would like to express my sincere gratitude for the many messages of support and goodwill I have received over the past few days,” he later said in a statement.

He resumed his duties less than three weeks later and met British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at Buckingham Palace on February 21.