The latest on Kate Middleton as rumors swirl about her health

The latest on Kate Middleton as rumors swirl about her health

Kate, the Princess of Wales, is “doing well” as she continues to recover from abdominal surgery, according to a Kensington Palace spokesperson.

Kate, 42, was photographed Monday in the passenger seat of a car driven by her mom, Carole Middleton, near Windsor Castle. The photograph was not released or authorized by Kensington Palace.

The photograph of Kate marked the first time the mom-of-three and wife of Prince William has been seen publicly since undergoing abdominal surgery and a nearly two-week hospital stay in mid-January.

Kate’s absence from the public eye combined with William’s recent absence from a royal engagement due to a “personal matter,” have led to rampant speculation online about Kate’s well-being.

The latest on Kate Middleton as rumors swirl about her health

Catherine, Princess of Wales attends The “Together At Christmas” Carol Service at Westminster Abbey on December 08, 2023 in London, England.

Chris Jackson/Getty Images

A palace spokesperson brushed off the social media speculation in a statement to ABC News last week, saying, “Kensington Palace made it clear in January the timelines of the Princess’ recovery and we’d only be providing significant updates. That guidance stands.”

Here is the latest on Kate’s health and what is publicly known.

Kate’s last official public appearance was on Christmas Day

Kate’s most recent official public appearance was on Christmas Day, when she attended church with members of the royal family.

Kate was seen smiling and greeting fans as she walked to the royal family’s traditional Christmas morning service at Sandringham alongside William and their three children, Princes George and Louis and Princess Charlotte.

PHOTO: The British Royal family attend the Christmas morning service.

Princess Charlotte of Wales, Prince William, Prince of Wales, Prince George of Wales, Prince Louis of Wales and Catherine, Princess of Wales attend the Christmas Morning Service at Sandringham Church on December 25, 2023 in Sandringham, Norfolk.

Samir Hussein/WireImage/Getty Images

The Waleses were joined by other members of the royal family as well, including King Charles III and his wife Queen Camilla.

Kate underwent abdominal surgery in January

Less than one month after Christmas, on Jan. 17, Kensington Palace announced that Kate had been admitted the previous day to The London Clinic for “planned abdominal surgery.”

The palace did not provide further details on the type of surgery Kate underwent, but confirmed to ABC News at the time that the princess’s medical issue was non-cancerous.

“The Princess of Wales appreciates the interest this statement will generate,” the palace said in a statement issued on Jan. 17. “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.”

“The Princess of Wales wishes to apologise to all those concerned for the fact that she has to postpone her upcoming engagements,” the statement continued. “She looks forward to reinstating as many as possible, as soon as possible.”

William, the heir to the throne, postponed his public engagements while Kate was hospitalized.

He was spotted privately entering and exiting The London Clinic to visit Kate during her stay. The couple’s three children are not believed to have visited Kate in the hospital.

Kate is now recovering at home

The palace announced on Jan. 29, nearly two weeks after Kate underwent surgery, that the princess had been discharged from the hospital.

From there, Kate continued her recovery at the family’s home in Windsor, about 30 miles outside of London.

“The Princess of Wales has returned home to Windsor to continue her recovery from surgery. She is making good progress,” a palace spokesperson said in a statement at the time. “The Prince and Princess wish to say a huge thank you to the entire team at The London Clinic, especially the dedicated nursing staff, for the care they have provided.”

The spokesperson added, “The Wales family continues to be grateful for the well wishes they have received from around the world.”

Since being home from the hospital, Kate has also spent time with her family at Anmer Hall, their home in Norfolk.

William has issued one public statement on Kate’s health

After taking time off while Kate was hospitalized, William returned to his public duties on Feb. 7, stepping in for his father to lead an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle.

Later that day, William joined actor Tom Cruise at a central London hotel for a charity fundraising gala for London’s Air Ambulance.

At the gala, William made his first and so far only public remarks about Kate.

“I’d like to take this opportunity to say thank you, also, for the kind messages of support for Catherine and for my father, especially, in recent days,” William said. “It means a great deal to us all.”

Following up with a joke, William continued, “It’s fair to say the past few weeks have had a rather ‘medical’ focus. So I thought I’d come to an air ambulance function to get away from it all.”

William has since attended the BAFTAS on his own, an event at which Kate is traditionally by his side.

On Tuesday, William sparked speculation after he missed a service of Thanksgiving for his godfather, King Constantine of Greece, at St. George’s Chapel, citing a “personal matter.”

PHOTO: Rabbi Daniel Epstein shows Britain's Prince William, Prince of Wales a 17th century Torah scroll as he visits the Western Marble Arch Synagogue on February 29, 2024 in London, England.

Rabbi Daniel Epstein shows Britain’s Prince William, Prince of Wales a 17th century Torah scroll as he visits the Western Marble Arch Synagogue on February 29, 2024 in London, England.

Toby Melville/Wpa Pool/Getty Images

William returned to his public duties on Thursday, visiting the Western Marble Arch Synagogue in London.

Kate has been completely out of the public eye while recovering, in contrast to Charles

William’s father Charles was briefly hospitalized at The London Clinic at the same time as Kate in January.

Charles stayed multiple nights at The London Clinic for a planned procedure to treat an enlarged prostate.

Shortly after he was discharged from the hospital, Buckingham Palace announced the 75-year-old king had been diagnosed with cancer.

The palace has not specified Charles’s type of cancer, the stage of cancer or the type of treatment he is receiving.

PHOTO: King Charles III and Queen Camilla host diplomatic reception at Buckingham Palace.

Queen Camilla, King Charles III, Prince William, Prince of Wales and Catherine, Princess of Wales pose for a photograph ahead of The Diplomatic Reception in the 1844 Room at Buckingham Palace on December 05, 2023 in London, England.

Chris Jackson/Getty Images

In contrast to Kate’s absence, however, Charles has been seen publicly since his diagnosis, including attending church with Camilla in Sandringham and traveling back and forth to London for treatment.

Last week, the palace released photographs of Charles reading some of the cards and letters frpm well-wishes the palace says the king has received.

Kate’s first public appearance could be on or around Easter Sunday

At the time of her surgery, the palace said Kate is not likely to resume her public duties until later this spring.

In past years, William and Kate and their children have been photographed walking to church on Easter Sunday alongside other members of the royal family.

The royal family will gather together again publicly in June for the annual Trooping the Colour celebration of King Charles III’s birthday.

The U.K. Ministry of Defense said Tuesday that Kate will attend this year’s celebration, but later removed her name and picture from the Army’s advertisement of the Colonel’s Review of Trooping the Colour. Kate’s attendance has not been confirmed by Kensington Palace.

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