Capping speculations about her disappearance, Princess of Wales Kate Middleton was reportedly seen 'happy and relaxed' during an outing with her husband Prince Wiliam at a farm shop near their home in Windsor on Sunday.
This is probably the first time that Kate was seen in public after her planned abdominal surgery back in January.
A witness who saw the couple told the British tabloid The Sun: "After all the rumours that had been going around, I was stunned to see them there. 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."
Despite the worldwide curiosity over her, no pictures were clicked of the Princess adhering to their request for privacy. The Kensington Palace had earlier made it clear that Kate Middleton would return to public duty after April 17 after Easter.
Meanwhile, Kate's friends said the Princess may speak out about her health battle soon. According to The Sunday Times, those close to Kate said the couple will disclose more information about her recovery in due course. "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. If she was going to do it, that’s how she would do it," the newspaper quoted a source.
On Monday, the Prince and Princess of Wales wished their followers a Happy St Patrick’s Day. Alongside the Instagram video featuring British soldiers, the pair wrote: "Happy St Patrick’s Day! Here’s a sneak peak of the Irish Guards rehearsing for their annual parade. Sláinte to all those celebrating today!"
This is the first time that Kate is missing the celebrations for the first time in seven years amid her ongoing health concerns.
The last two weeks saw Kate's absence from the public eye snowballing into an international scandal with speculations about her health dominating internet discussions. The Palace's release of a Mother's Day photo with Kate and her three children, which was heavily photoshopped, added to the speculations that all is not well with the Princess. Though a statement came out from the Princess herself apologizing for the confusion, it did nothing to quell the gossip.