Kate Middleton has reportedly been spotted in public for the first time since her surgery in rather mysterious circumstances.

Kate Middleton has reportedly been spotted in public for the first time since her surgery and the photoshop scandal, however the moment was not caught on camera.

British publication The Sun revealed Kate visited her favourite farm shop with Prince William on Saturday morning.

Onlookers told the paper Kate looked “happy, relaxed and healthy” as she ventured from her Adelaide Cottage home in Windsor to visit the nearby store.

Kate and William then spent the rest of the morning watching their children, George, Charlotte, and Louis play sports, it was claimed.

The whereabouts of the Princess of Wales has been the centre of speculation for weeks now, which went into overdrive after a failed Photoshopping attempt led to a mandatory 𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁 notice from the world’s biggest photo agencies and an awkward apology from the 42-year-old mum- of-three.

The outing marks the first time Kate has been seen in public in months however it was not photographed. Picture: Chris Jackson/Getty Images

A witness at the farm shop in Windsor told The Sun she was pleasantly surprised to see the Princess of Wales out in public and healthy again.

“After all the rumours that had been going round I was stunned to see them there,” they said.

“Kate was out shopping with William and she looked happy and she looked well.”

“The kids weren’t with them but it’s such a good sign she was healthy enough to pop down to the shops.”

The sightings come amid wild speculation and gossip about Kate’s health which have reportedly left the royal couple “devastated”.

It comes months after the Princess of Wales first disappeared from the public eye when she was admitted to the hospital on January 16 for abdominal surgery.

In an attempt to dispell mounting concerns about her condition, Kate released a sweet Mother’s Day photo on March 10 with her children.

The Princess of Wales visited the shop a mile from Adelaide cottage. Picture: Alamy

Kate and William reportedly spent the morning at the Windsor farm shop. Picture: Alamy

However, shortly after eagle-eyed fans noticed the image was heavily edited.

Subsequently, several photo agencies released a “𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁 notice” message notification regarding the family snap.

“At closer inspection it appears that the source has manipulated the image,” a message from the Associated Press (AP) Reuters read.

Metadata from the now infamous Mother’s Day photo revealed the image had been digitally altered multiple times before it was published on the official royal social media platforms.

Information included in the photo data showed timestamps indicating the photo was first edited at 9:54pm on Friday, March 8, in Photoshop. On March 9, the image was altered once again at 9:39am.

After facing backlash for the picture, Kate released an apology, revealing that she was the one behind the editing.

“Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing. I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused,” she tweeted from the official account she shares with her husband.

A photoshopped image of Kate Kate has sparked a wave of conspiracy theories, and a follow-up image of the royal in a car has only worsened the furore. Picture from Kensington Palace/Instagram

“I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother’s Day. C.”

Now Kate’s own staffers have added another layer of confusion to what is now being dubbed ‘KateGate’, with sources claiming they had no prior knowledge about her surgery and have been unable to get in touch with her.

“A few of Kate’s senior staffers haven’t been able to see or speak to her, and they didn’t even know about the surgery until it was announced, so it’s caught them off guard,” a source told Us Weekly.

The source also said Kate has only just started opening up to members of her inner circle about her operation and recovery.

“Only a few people know what’s really going on, and they’re tight-lipped,” they said.

The last time the Princess was seen in public was Christmas Day, December 25 last year, when she and husband Prince William took their three children to a church service.

Kate is expected to return to public duties in April. Picture: Stephen Pond/Getty

The Princess of Wales last appeared at the Christmas Morning Service at Sandringham Church on December 25, 2023. Picture: Stephen Pond/Getty Images

Two months after that public appearance, Kate was spotted sitting in the passenger seat of a car in Windsor with her mother Carole in the driver’s seat.

Claims swiftly emerged that the blurry snap was fake, however the photographer confirmed the picture was real – albeit grainy due to the reflection from the car window.

Kate is not expected to return to official duties until April. Her absence comes as the other senior royals have also taken breaks from the public eye: King Charles, as he battles an undisclosed form of cancer, Queen Camilla flying off on a private jet for an overseas holiday, and Prince William pulling out of the Windsor tribute to his godfather, Greece’s late King Constantine due to a “personal matter”.

The four senior royals’ absence from public duties leaves the disgraced Prince Andrew technically in charge.