Los Angeles – Britain's Princess Catherine of Wales was seen in public on Monday for the first time since her abdominal surgery in mid-January, according to photos published by US media portal TMZ. Princess Kate, 42, whose husband Prince William is heir to the British throne, has been recovering mostly at her home in Windsor, west of London, since she was discharged from hospital on January 29.
Photos published by TMZ showed Kate wearing sunglasses while riding in a car. The celebrity news site said they were shot near Windsor Castle on Monday.
CBS News, like most British media outlets, from tabloids such as the Chron and The Sun to the national broadcaster BBC and other television networks, does not publish the secretly taken photos.
The royal family of Prince William and Kate 89 photos
“We are not letting her walk out of respect for her privacy while she recovers from her operation within the timeframe we were given,” ITV News royal editor Chris Ship said in a social media post.
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The sighting comes at a time when conspiracy theories are circulating on social media about the famously hard-working princess' absence from the spotlight. Speculation grew last week when Prince William pulled out of a public appearance at a memorial service for his late godfather, vaguely citing a “personal matter.”
The palace said the Prince of Wales's absence was not related to his father, King Charles III's, ongoing cancer treatments, but its decision was not clearly separated from Kate's ongoing recovery, although it was said she continued to recover well.
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Kensington Palace made it clear shortly after her operation that Kate was “unlikely to return to public duties before Easter.” It was also said that her surgery had nothing to do with cancer.
Meanwhile, Britain's Ministry of Defense reported on Monday that Kate would make her first public appearance since her operation. Britain's PA news agency said Kate will attend the annual Trooping the Color ceremony in central London on June 8. The royal family has not announced any future public events for Kate since she was hospitalized.
Kate's hospitalization came almost simultaneously with the announcement that the royal had undergone surgery for a benign prostate condition and was subsequently diagnosed with an unrelated cancer.
King Charles, 75, has also stepped back from public duties during his treatment, although he has attended church services and held his weekly audience with the prime minister.
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