Kate Middleton Spotted With Prince William After Her Apology for Family Photo Editing Confusion

Hours after Princess Kate Middleton issued an apology for causing “confusion” with an edited family photo, the Princess of Wales was seen alongside Prince William in her second low-profile outing since her abdominal surgery in January.

Kate, 42, was spotted with her husband in the back of a blue Range Rover. The vehicle was leaving Windsor Castle on Monday, March 11, as seen in photos obtained by Daily Mail. William, 41, appeared to be looking down at his phone while the princess looked out her window. She was on her way to a private appointment, and William was off to the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey, according to the publication. He arrived alone at the service around 2:45 p.m. local time.

The princess’ outing came less than one day after a family photo on Kate and William’s Instagram page caused a stir online. The photo, shared in honor of Mother’s Day in the U.K. on Sunday, March 10, showed Kate sitting in a chair surrounded by her and William’s three kids, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. In the caption, Kate thanked fans for their “kind wishes and continued support” in the two months since her surgery.

Though the caption stated that William took the photo in 2024, fans were skeptical because the trees in the background appeared to have autumn leaves. People also noticed several details that were seemingly Photoshopped or AI-generated, including the missing wedding ring on Kate’s finger.

Several photo agencies later released a kill notification for the image to be removed from their platforms. “Clients please be advised that the following story has been killed and should no longer be used,” the notification read, according to a screenshot shared via X. “At closer inspection it appears that the source has manipulated the image. No replacement photo will be sent.”

Early on Monday morning, Kate issued an apology for the “confusion” the photo caused and admitted to editing it herself. “Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing,” she wrote on X. “I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused. I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother’s Day. C.”

The photo is still live on Kate and William’s social media pages.

Rumors about Kate’s health have swirled since Kensington Palace revealed on January 17 that the princess had a “planned abdominal surgery” the day before and was “unlikely to return to royal duties until after Easter.” She went home from the hospital to continue her recovery on January 29 and has stayed out of the public eye, save for one sighting in a car with mom Carole Middleton on March 4.

“Kensington Palace made it clear in January the timelines of the princess’ recovery and we’d only be providing significant updates,” a royal representative told In Touch at the time, as fans wondered why there seemed to be so much secrecy surrounding her current condition. “That guidance stands.”