Kate Middleton 'happy and relaxed' as she's spotted on wholesome shopping trip with Prince William

The Princess of Wales reportedly looked "happy, relaxed and healthy" when she was spotted enjoying a wholesome day trip with Prince William.

She isn’t expected to resume engagements for several more weeks at least, but after a difficult week facing intense public and media scrutiny, the Princess of Wales has apparently enjoyed a special local outing with Prince William. Venturing not too far afield from her gorgeous Adelaide Cottage home on the Windsor estate, Kate was reportedly seen with her husband visiting a farm shop nearby on 16th March. 

According to The Sun, a fellow shopper claimed that the future Queen appeared "happy, relaxed and healthy" during the trip, whilst another witness expressed surprise at seeing Kate there but believed that it was a "good sign".

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"After all the rumours that had been going round I was stunned to see them there," the onlooker 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," they claimed. 

The Princess of Wales's reported outing to the farm shop was the first time she's been spotted out and about since her "successful" abdominal surgery in January. The visit followed an incredibly challenging week for Kate as she took to social media to issue a personal apology after sharing her 2024 Mother's Day photo. 

The Princess admitted she "occasionally experiment[s] with editing" after several picture agencies withdrew the photo citing concerns. As a result there was a resurgence in theories and rumours that have been circulating in recent weeks amid Kate's absence from public duties.

Prior to her surgery, Kate was last seen publicly on Christmas Day when she walked to church with the rest of the Royal Family. Since leaving hospital after her surgery in January, she's been out of the public eye as she continues her recovery at home in Windsor.

Kensington Palace previously made it clear in a statement that they would only be providing further updates on the Princess’s progress when there was "significant new information" to share. They also explained that she’s "unlikely" to resume public-facing duties until after Easter at the end of March and indicated that even then, Kate won't have a packed schedule straight away.

Speaking about her upcoming engagements, they stated, "She looks forward to reinstating as many as possible, as soon as possible", perhaps suggesting that it could be a more gradual process based on how she's feeling at the time.

Easter this year is the last weekend in March and The Sunday Times has claimed that Kate could start undertaking engagements again after Prince George, Charlotte and Louis return to school on 17th April after their Easter holidays. Whether or not this will be the case remains to be seen, though many fans will likely be reassured by the reports of Kate’s wholesome shopping trip with Prince William in the meantime. 

A royal source also alleged to the publication that they can "see a world" in which Kate "might discuss her recovery out on engagements" as she and Prince William are "at their most open when out interacting with members of the public".

"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," a friend also declared.