The Princess of Wales has been spotted breaking cover just hours after issuing a personal apology following a photo editing row over a Mother's Day snap. Kate Middleton was seen in a car leaving Windsor alongside her husband, Prince William, who attended the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey on Monday afternoon.
The sighting comes as Kate continues to recover from abdominal surgery carried out earlier this year. While she was not present at the Commonwealth Day ceremony, the Princess is understood to have had a private appointment. This marks the second time Kate has been photographed since December 2023, with the first being a photo obtained by TMZ earlier this month, showing her in a car alongside her mother, Carole Middleton.
Kate's appearance follows her public apology for the manipulated family photograph released by Kensington Palace on Sunday. In a statement shared on social media, the Princess took responsibility for the editing, saying, "Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing. I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused. I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother's Day. C."
The photograph, which featured Kate and her children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, was taken by Prince William and was the first to be issued since the Princess's surgery. However, it was withdrawn with a 'Kill' notice by international picture agencies hours later, and by the UK's Press Association on Monday, due to suspicions of manipulation.
Concerns were raised over various aspects of the image, including a missing part of Princess Charlotte's sleeve, the misaligned edge of her skirt, and the positioning of Kate's zip. Royal sources stated that the Princess of Wales made "minor adjustments" and that the couple wanted to offer an informal picture of the family together for Mother's Day.
"This was an amateur, family photograph taken by the Prince of Wales. Their Royal Highnesses wanted to offer an informal picture of the family together for Mother's Day," the source said. "The Princess made minor adjustments as she shared in her statement on social media, the Wales family spent Mother's Day together and had a wonderful day."
Despite calls for the original, unedited photograph to be published, Kensington Palace has said it will not be reissuing the image. The controversy has been branded damaging to the public's trust in the royal family, with growing pressure on the Palace to address the issue.
During the Commonwealth Day service, Prince William arrived moments before Queen Consort Camilla amid the ongoing debacle. The BBC One cameras filming the live televised service focused on the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh being greeted by clergy, while William, dressed in a dark blue suit, could be seen speaking to guests in the welcoming line.
The Prince was observed chatting with the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh and the Princess Royal as they waited near the Great West Door for the Queen to finish meeting people in the welcoming line. As Camilla approached, William greeted her with a friendly "hello" and a kiss on both cheeks before standing side by side for the national anthem.
Last week, Kensington Palace hit out at "the madness of social media" after a series of conspiracy theories about Kate's whereabouts spiraled out of control. The Palace issued a rare statement reacting to online speculation about the Princess's health, stating that the timelines of her recovery had been made clear in January and that they would only be providing significant updates.
Kate is not expected to return to official duties until after Easter, with William temporarily stepping back from his royal role to juggle caring for her and their children during her recovery. Earlier this month, the Army was forced into an embarrassing about-turn after suggesting Kate would attend Trooping the Colour on June 8, as it had not sought approval from Kensington Palace before publishing the information.
