First photo of Princess Catherine since surgery released on Britain’s Mother’s Day

The first official photograph of Catherine, the Princess of Wales, since she underwent abdominal surgery about two months ago was released on Sunday. It showed Catherine, also publicly known as Kate Middleton, posing and smiling alongside 10-year-old George, 8-year-old Charlotte and 5-year-old Louis, her three children with William, the Prince of Wales. 

The image gave photography credit to Prince William and was posted early Sunday morning to the official social accounts belonging to the royal couple on X, formerly Twitter, and Instagram. With the new image came Catherine’s first message to the public since her surgery in January. It acknowledged Mother’s Day in the United Kingdom, which this year is being celebrated on March 10.

“Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months. Wishing everyone a Happy Mother’s Day. C,” read the message from the princess.

Questions have swirled online in recent weeks about Catherine’s health status, after Kensington Palace announced in a Jan. 17 statement that she had been hospitalized for a planned abdominal surgery and would remain for 10 to 14 days at the private London clinic where she’d had the procedure. In that statement, the palace said she would then continue her recovery at home in Windsor for the next couple of months. The British monarch was not expected to return to her royal duties until after Easter, which will be March 31.

The palace did not share details about the nature of Catherine’s surgery but stressed that it was not cancer-related. Its initial statement about the procedure said that Catherine “hopes 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.”

Amid ongoing speculation that ensued about her health, a spokesperson for Kensington Palace said in a statement released late last month that Catherine was “doing well.”

“Kensington Palace made it clear in January the timelines of the princess’ recovery and we’d only be providing significant updates. That guidance stands,” the spokesperson said.

Catherine’s recovery from surgery and related absence from the public eye has coincided with another health scare for the royal family. Shortly after her procedure, in early February, Buckingham Palace announced that King Charles III had been diagnosed with cancer and was undergoing treatment. The king said in a statement issued around that time by the royal family that he would like “to express my most heartfelt thanks for the many messages of support and good wishes I have received in recent days.”

“As all those who have been affected by cancer will know, such kind thoughts are the greatest comfort and encouragement,” he said.