- Written by Daniela Relf
- royal correspondent
image source, prince of wales
Kensington Palace has released the first official photos of the Princess of Wales since her abdominal surgery in January.
The image was taken by Prince William in Windsor earlier this week and shows the princess and her three children.
The photo was accompanied by a Mother's Day message and a note of gratitude from the princess for the people's “continued support.”
She has no plans to return to official duties before Easter.
In a message shared on social media, Duchess Kate said: “Thank you very much for your kind wishes and continued support over the past two months.
“Happy Mother's Day, everyone.”
The photo shows the princess sitting arm in arm with Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis and Prince George.
Catherine, 42, spent 13 nights at the London Clinic near Regent's Park in central London after her surgery.
The palace has provided few details about her condition, which has sparked much speculation on social media, but has said it is not related to cancer.
The team supporting the Princess' recovery is small and limited to those closest to her.
The palace said that at the time of her stay, the princess wanted her personal medical information to be kept private, adding that she “wants to maintain as much normality as possible for her children.”
It said it would provide updates on her recovery only if there was significant new information to share.
This photo will go some way to quelling some extreme theories regarding the princess's absence from public life.
This is a controlled attempt to reassure those involved that the princess is “fine”, as the team has repeatedly stated.
Those close to Prince William and Duchess Kate claim the focus was on giving her space to recover and escape the scrutiny and judgment that the spotlight brings.
image source, prince of wales
