Originally appeared on E! Online
Kate Middleton is on the road to recovery.
In fact, the Princess of Wales was seen for the first time since stepping back from her royal duties to recuperate from a planned abdominal surgery that took place in January.
For the March 4 outing, Kate was spotted riding in the passenger seat of a car alongside her mother, Carole Middleton, near Windsor Castle in the U.K. And the 42-year-old — who shares kids Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5, with husband Prince William — kept a low profile for the ride, wearing a black top and large sunglasses.
Kate has remained out of the public eye for over two months, with her last official appearance being a Christmas Day outing to church with the royal family — less than a month before she was hospitalized to undergo abdominal surgery on Jan. 16.
"The surgery was successful and it is expected that she will remain in hospital for 10 to 14 days, before returning home to continue her recovery," Kensington Palace's statement noted at the time. "Based on the current medical advice, she is unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter."
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The family then provided another update on her health in February after Prince William renewed public concern by canceling an appearance at a memorial for his late godfather King Constantine II of Greece due to a "personal matter."
"Kensington Palace made it clear in January the timelines of the princess' recovery and we'd only be providing significant updates," a spokesperson for Kate told E! News on Feb. 29. "That guidance stands."
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The message went on to assure that Kate was making "good progress" in her recovery, adding, "The Prince and Princess wish to say a huge thank you to the entire team at the London Clinic, especially the dedicated nursing staff, for the care they have provided. The Wales family continues to be grateful for the well wishes they have received from around the world."
