First official photo of Catherine, Princess of Wales, since surgery released
Editor's Note
The photograph from Kensington Palace that accompanied this story has been removed because the wire services that distributed the photo determined that it had been manipulated. The Washington Post has published a separate story about the issues surrounding the photograph. That story is linked below.
The new story about the photograph can be found here.
LONDON — Kensington Palace released an official photo of Catherine, Princess of Wales, on Sunday — her first since she stepped back from public view as she recovered from abdominal surgery, an absence that has sparked frenzied speculation in recent weeks.
The photo, of Catherine surrounded by her three children, Prince Louis, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, was taken “earlier this week” at their home in Windsor, a spokeswoman for Kensington Palace told The Washington Post on Sunday, and Prince William, Catherine’s husband and heir to the British throne, captured the moment.
“Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months,” read a message with the photo on social media Sunday, which is Mother’s Day in the United Kingdom. “Wishing everyone a Happy Mother’s Day,” the post continued, before a sign-off from “C,” for Catherine.
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The photo may bring comfort to eagle-eyed royal watchers who have been hoping for weeks for a glimpse of Britain’s future queen.
Catherine, 42, was last seen in public on Christmas Day. Kensington Palace announced in January that she underwent “successful” abdominal surgery and that she would probably not resume official duties before April.
And while Kensington Palace sought to reassure the public the princess was “doing well” while recovering at home in Windsor, her withdrawal from the public eye sparked widespread interest around the world and particularly on social media, where users speculated about her whereabouts, coming up with memes and even conspiracy theories.
Last week, TMZ published a paparazzi photo of Catherine being driven in a car by her mother, though the image was not shared by British media.
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