Kensington Palace finally released a photo of Kate Middleton after months of speculation about her health

After months of absence from the public eye, sparking conspiracy theories about her whereabouts and health, Kensington Palace released a new photo of Kate Middleton to mark Mother’s Day in the UK.

The photo shows Kate smiling and sitting in a chair surrounded by her three children. Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5, stand on either side of her, while 10-year-old Prince George stands behind her with his arms wrapped around her.

Prince William took the picture at Windsor Castle earlier this week, the BBC reported.

Catherine, the Princess of Wales, with her children — Prince Louis, Prince George, and Princess Charlotte — pose for a photo taken in Windsor by Prince William and released on March 10.Prince of Wales/Kensington Palace

It is the first official picture of Kate released since her abdominal surgery in January.

Accompanying the photo, uploaded to their social-media accounts, was a message from Kate thanking the public for their support and wishing other families a happy Mother’s Day.

“Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months. Wishing everyone a Happy Mother’s Day,” Kensington Palace captioned the photo, which was signed “C” for “Catherine.”

Kensington Palace said on January 17 that Kate had undergone “planned abdominal surgery” and that she likely wouldn’t return to work until around Easter, which falls at the end of March.

She spent 13 nights at the London Clinic, near Regent’s Park in central London, following the surgery and returned to Windsor Castle to continue recuperating on January 29.

Though it’s standard for royals to take time off for health reasons, it isn’t common for them to disappear from the public eye, leading to a social-media firestorm at the end of February.

By then, Kate hadn’t been photographed in public for over two months — her last official outing had been on Christmas Day.

The royal family on December 25, 2023.Samir Hussein/WireImage/Getty Images

Speculation around Kate’s absence, and the royal family’s refusal to address the rumors, only heightened public speculation and left many wondering whether the British monarchy is in crisis.

But in a statement sent to Business Insider on February 29, the palace said she was “doing well” and reiterated that they wouldn’t provide regular updates on her recovery timeline.

“As we have been clear since our initial statement in January, we shall not be providing a running commentary or providing daily updates,” it read.

Earlier this week, Kate was spotted near Windsor Castle in a car with her mother, Carole Middleton.

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