London – Months after a sudden hospitalisation, Princess of Wales Kate Middleton was spotted for the first time near Windsor Castle on Monday. Pictures are appearing on social media in which Middleton can be seen sitting on the passenger seat of an Audi which was being driven by her mother Carole. However, many started questioning whether it was Kate herself, her sister, or a body double, which eventually prompted a host of social media conspiracy theories. According to The New York Post, the mother-daughter duo was spotted near Windsor Castle.

In the photographs, Kate attempted to keep a low profile with a pair of sunglasses and a slight smile. However, neither the Kensington Palace nor any member of the royal family has responded to the pictures that are circulating online. It is important to note that the Princess of Wales has remained out of the public eye since December. Her last public event was the church service which she attended with the British royal family. On January 17, Kensington Palace announced that Middleton was hospitalized for a “planned abdominal surgery”. The palace official also mentioned that the princess of Wales would not be resuming her public duties until Easter.  

Is the British Princess Doing Well?

On Thursday, a spokesperson from Kensington Palace told Fox News that the Princess of Wales is “doing well”. “Kensington Palace made it clear in January the timelines of the Princess’ recovery and we’d only be providing significant updates. The guidance in January stands that the Princess would be recuperating at home in Windsor,” she said. The clarification came after multiple conspiracy theories emerged on X, TikTok, and Twitter with users speculating about the British royal's whereabouts and health condition. With the British royalty's hospitalisation, the hashtag #WhereisKate went viral on all social media platforms. "The Princess of Wales appreciates the interest this statement will generate. 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 Palace said while announcing her hospitalisation. 

“The Princess of Wales wishes to apologise to all those concerned for the fact that she has to postpone her upcoming engagements. She looks forward to reinstating as many as possible, as soon as possible,” the Palace furthered. Kate's hospitalisation came shortly after the London Clinic said that King Charles III was receiving medical attention for a "corrective procedure" for an enlarged prostate. The British monarch was later diagnosed with prostate cancer.