She has been seen for the first time in months.
Kate Middleton has finally been spotted for the first time in more than two months. On Monday, she was photographed near Windsor Castle riding in a black SUV being driven by her mother, Carole Middleton.
The princess has been out of sight ever since her abdominal surgery in January, and her absence has sparked concern over her whereabouts. Prince William’s sudden decision to pull out of a memorial service for his godfather, King Constantine of Greece, only fanned the flames. Kensington Palace didn’t elaborate on his decision to skip it, but said that his wife “continues to be doing well.”
Still, the royals can’t seem to stop all of the chatter. The palace has repeatedly maintained that it wouldn’t be regularly informing the public about the Princess of Wales’s health, though royal officials reiterated that Kate’s on the mend. “Kensington Palace made it clear in January the timelines of the princess’ recovery and we’d only be providing significant updates,” a spokesperson for the princess told HuffPost. “That guidance stands.”
It’s worth noting that even vague health updates like these are historically rare for the royal family, which explains why Middleton has chosen to keep her medical condition mostly under wraps.
As many wonder about Kate’s condition, here’s a look at what we do know.
Where is Kate Middleton?
Per the palace, the Princess of Wales is recuperating at Adelaide Cottage at the royal family’s Windsor Castle estate following her discharge from the London Clinic. The palace hasn’t offered further information about what her exact procedure was, or any conditions that necessitated it, other than it being non-cancerous.
When was Kate Middleton last seen?
The 42-year-old was last seen on March 4, being driven by her mother. For the outing, she appeared to be trying to keep a low-profile by wearing her hair down and sporting a pair of big, black sunglasses.
But her last public appearance was in December 2023, when she stepped out with other members of the royal family for their annual walk to attend a Christmas Day service at the Church of St. Mary Magdalene. Decked out in royal blue from head to toe, Kate was pictured smiling as she strolled next to Prince William along with their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.
The palace made it clear that they don’t plan on giving regular updates on her recovery unless “there is significant new information to share.” Shortly after her operation, royal officials stated that she was “unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter.” Since then, they’ve repeated that the princess is “doing well” amid ongoing rumors about her.
Has Prince William said anything about Kate’s whereabouts?
Prince William hasn’t offered any more details on his wife’s condition — or his sudden withdrawal from his godfather’s memorial. The palace just attributed it to a “personal matter,” and it’s unclear whether it had to do with Kate’s recovery.
While William had initially planned to cut back on his duties amid his wife’s recovery, the 41-year-old has taken on some engagements following his father’s cancer diagnosis in February. His last appearance was at the BAFTA Film Awards on Feb. 19, where he shared a rare candid moment with the audience.
“Hopefully I’ll catch up,” he said, while admitting that he hadn’t seen many of the year’s nominated films. “I’ve had other things on my mind. It’s been a bit [hand motion] — a bit like that.”
What are people saying about Kate Middleton?
The internet has been going wild with fake theories, with some questioning whether that was really her pictured riding alongside next to her mother.
People believe there’s something fishy about her prolonged absence from the public eye, with some even speculating that Kate’s condition is much more serious than the palace let on. For instance, Spanish journalist Concha Calleja falsely claimed that Kate was in a coma due to complications from her operation and that her life was in “great danger.” Afterward, an unidentified palace source called these claims “total nonsense” in an interview with The Times.
On the much less serious side, one user on X, formerly known as Twitter, theorized that Kate was hiding because she was growing out her bangs. Another person jokingly posted a photo of her photoshopped walking alongside former Saturday Night Live alum Pete Davidson.
Some even wondered if she was recovering from some sort of face- or body-altering surgery. Google searches for “BBL,” which refers to Brazilian butt lift, have begun to spike alongside her name after one Twitter user pointed out that the recovery time for the procedure is about two months, or the time Kate has been out of the public eye. But for now, her prolonged absence remains a mystery.
