Kate Middleton resurfaced for Mother’s Day in her first official public sighting since the Princess’ surgery weeks ago.
She was seen in a casual look next to her three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, in a portrait captured by Prince William in honor of Mother’s Day.
In the family photo the Princess of Wales, 42, is seen without her wedding ring or any other jewelry.
This is the first update from Kensington Palace since Kate’s surgery. She thanked her supporters for the well wishes as she recuperated.
“Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months. Wishing everyone a Happy Mother’s Day,” she wrote to fans, signing off as ‘C’ for Catherine.
C donned denim a field jacket as she wrapped her arms around Charlotte, 8, and Louis, 5, on either side with George, 10, hugging Mom from behind.
The mom has taken a break from the royal spotlight as she convalesces from “planned abdominal surgery” on January 16.
The last high-profile appearance she made was at Sandringham on Christmas Day, leading to much speculation during her absence over the past two months.
Breaking down Kate Middleton's Photoshop fail
- On Monday, Kensington Palace released a new photo and statement from Kate Middleton for UK Mother’s Day. Eagle-eyed fans immediately saw the photo — showing Kate surrounded by her three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis — was littered with mistakes, either from Photoshop or AI.
- The photo, the original of which Kensington Palace refuses to release, was quickly recalled by photo agencies over fears it had been digitally “manipulated.”
- Middleton issued an apology Monday after her photo went viral for its numerous Photoshop errors. “Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing,” she said.
- One major telltale sign of manipulation was that a portion of Charlotte’s wrist seems to be missing from under the chopped-off sleeve of her cardigan. Charlotte’s checkered skirt likewise does not line up, with the right edge sticking out at a strange right angle and overlapping with George’s hands.
- Another unusual detail that raised questions about the image’s veracity is Prince Louis’ crossed fingers on his right hand — and a seemingly fuzzy and broken pattern on the right sleeve of his gray sweater.
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The procedure was deemed a success on January 29 as the Princess returned to Adelaide Cottage in Windsor and reunited with her children after two weeks apart.
TMZ spotted Kate last Monday in the passenger seat of a black Audi 4×4 with her mom, Carole Middleton, wearing dark sunglasses and hiding her face from view.
While the photo made its rounds in US media, Kensington Palace implored UK presses to withhold publishing the image in the interest of the royal family’s privacy.
Meanwhile, Buckingham Palace commemorated Mother’s Day by sharing a photo of King Charles kissing the hand of his late mother Queen Elizabeth II, taken following a polo match in 1985.
“Wishing all Mothers, and those who are missing their Mums today, a peaceful Mothering Sunday,” the King’s message read.
