Kate Middletonwas seen on video for the first time in months during a shopping trip withPrince Williamover the weekend.
On Monday,TMZpublished video footage of the couple’svisit to the Windsor Farm Shopon Saturday. The 40-second clip shows Prince William, 41, and Princess Kate, 42, wearing casual clothes and each carrying a shopping bag. Princess Kate smiles and chats with her husband as they walk through the parking lot.
The sighting marks the first time the Princess of Wales has been seen out in public since Kensington Palace announced that she had had “planned abdominal surgery” on Jan. 16.
“Kate was out shopping with William, and she looked happy and she looked well, " an onlooker told the outlet.
Prince William and Kate Middleton visit Outfit Moray in Moray, Scotland on November 2, 2023.Jane Barlow - WPA Pool/Getty Images
Jane Barlow - WPA Pool/Getty Images
While William and Kate’s children —Prince George, 10,Princess Charlotte, 8, andPrince Louis, 5 — didn’t tag along for the shopping trip,The Sunreported that the Prince and Princess of Wales also spent some of the weekend watching their kids play sports.
It’s no surprise that the Prince and Princess of Wales are keeping their three kids on a schedule, as the initial statement from Kensington Palace about Princess Kate’s surgery expressed her wish to “maintain as much normalityfor her children as possible” during this time.
Prince William and Kate Middleton at a ceremonial welcome for the Korea’s president and first lady in London on November 21, 2023.Samir Hussein/WireImage
Samir Hussein/WireImage
PEOPLE understands that Princess Kate was heading to a private appointment, while the Prince of Wales stepped out with members of the royal family for the annualCommonwealth Day Service of Celebrationat Westminster Abbey last Monday.
Prince William and Kate Middleton arrive at St Davids Cathedral to commemorate the life of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on September 08, 2023 in St Davids, Wales.Chris Jackson/Getty Images
Chris Jackson/Getty Images
The outing came on the same day that the Princess of Wales released asurprise statementto social media to social media for “any confusion” around herMother’s Day photoafter multiple global photo agencies pulled the picture amidsuspicion of manipulation.
A palace insider downplayed the PR crisis, exclusivelytelling PEOPLEthat although the situation is a “bump in the road, it’s not an earthquake.”
Kate Middleton visits Nottingham Trent University to learn about their mental health support system on October 11, 2023 in Nottingham, England.Chris Jackson/Getty
Chris Jackson/Getty
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However,Mark Borkowski, a London-based public relations and crisis communications expert, tells PEOPLE that in trying to share a new image with the public, the palace hasn’t calmed concerns — “in fact, it’s made it worse.”
Kate Middleton and Prince William with children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis on Dec. 25, 2023.Samir Hussein/WireImage
Kate may speak out about her health when she returns to public duty, according to a new report.
On Saturday,The Sunday Timescited insiders close to Kate and Prince William, indicating that they anticipate the couple will share details about the royal’s surgery and recovery, but they will do so on their timeline and terms.
“They are at their most open when out interacting with members of the public and I can see a world in which the princess might discuss her recovery out on engagements,” a royal source told the outlet. “If she was going to do it, that’s how she would do it.”
A friend added: “They will want to be clear and more open, but they’ll do it when they feel ready. I would expect that to be her instinct and it will be her call. They’re not going to be rushed.”
source: people.com
