Kate Middleton and Prince William Seemingly Step Out Together After Photo Controversy

Kate Middleton appeared to join her husband Prince William for an outing at Windsor Farm Shop March 16 amid the speculation surrounding her U.K. Mother’s Day photo-editing scandal.

By Olivia Evans, Leah Degrazia Mar 18, 2024 11:09 PMTags
Watch: Kate Middleton Seemingly Spotted on Market Outing

Kate Middleton appears to be putting speculation to rest. 

Five days after the Princess of Wales took responsibility for an edited photo posted to social media for U.K. Mother's Day, she has seemingly stepped out again—this time, at a farm shop in Windsor, U.K. 

For the March 16 outing, Kate kept it casual, wearing black leggings, a black windbreaker and athletic shoes. In a video shared March 18 outside Windsor Farm Shop, the 42-year-old also appeared to flash a big smile as she carried a plastic bag of her purchases alongside the Prince of Wales, who managed to maintain a low-profile by pairing a salmon-colored baseball cap with his jeans and black jacket.

(E! News reached out to verify the authenticity of the video but has not heard back.)

On March 10, Kensington Palace's social media channels posted a photo of Kate, who has been out of the spotlight amid her recovery from abdominal surgery, with her and Prince William's kids Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5. 

However, the photo—which the caption suggested was recently taken by the Prince of Wales—was quickly pulled from prominent publications including the Associated Press due to concerns over its "manipulation."

And amid the uproar over the photo, Kate offered an explanation.

"Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing," she wrote on X, formerly Twitter, March 11. "I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused. I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother's Day. C."

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Kate Middleton's Best Looks

Kate, who stepped back from her royal duties following the January procedure, has kept a low profile in recent months, questions are still being raised about her whereabouts. 

And the royal family has more eyes than usual on them in the aftermath of the photo scandal, as some news outlets, including CNN, have even shared plans to investigate the royal family's photos more closely before publishing in the future. 

Karwai Tang/WireImage

However, amid the scrutiny, William continues to go about his typical royal duties. In fact, the Prince of Wales joined Queen Camilla at a Commonwealth Day celebration on March 11—King Charles III was absent as he stepped back from public appearances amid his cancer diagnosis—and joined other family members at Thomas Kingston's memorial service the following day. 

And as for the online rumors, England's future king has opted to ignore them. As a spokesperson for William put it to People earlier this month, "His focus is on his work and not on social media."

Keep reading for more news from royal families all over the world.

Returning to Public Duties

On April 26, nearly three months after sharing his cancer diagnosis, Buckingham Palace announced that Charles will return to public-facing duties

Queen Camilla Attends Royal Maundy Service

The queen consort attended the Royal Maundy Service on March 28 in place of King Charles III, making her the first spouse of the Monarch to continue the ancient tradition.

Kate Middleton Shares Cancer Diagnosis

In a March 22 video message, the Princess of Wales shared that she'd been diagnosed with cancer after undergoing abdominal surgery in January.

"It was thought that my condition was non-cancerous. The surgery was successful," she said before noting that tests after the operation found cancer had been present. "My medical team therefore advised that I should undergo a course of preventative chemotherapy and I am now in the early stages of that treatment."

Kate Middleton Apologizes for Edited Family Photo Controversy

After photo agencies pulled the picture Kensington Palace shared of Kate since having her abdominal surgery on March 10, the Princess of Wales addressed claims the photo was doctored. 

"Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing," she tweeted on March 11. "I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused. I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother's Day. C."

Lady Kitty Spencer Privately Welcomes Baby

Princess Diana's niece celebrated Mother's Day in the U.K. by sharing she and her husband Michael Lewis privately welcomed their first baby.

“It’s the joy of my life to be your mummy, little one. I love you unconditionally," she captioned her March 10 Instagram post. "Happy Mother’s Day to those who celebrate today."

Queen Camilla Takes a Break

After keeping up her full slate of engagements in the wake of her husband's cancer diagnosis, the palace cleared Camilla's schedule.

The Times pointed out March 2 that the 76-year-old didn't have any engagements on her calendar until March 11, when she'd be due at Westminster Abbey to observe Commonwealth Day.

Thomas Kensington Dies at 45

The husband of Lady Gabriella Windsor and ex-boyfriend of Pippa Middleton, was found dead Feb. 25. Days later, a coroner's inquest found that he died by suicide.

King Charles Diagnosed With Cancer

While King Charles III was in the hospital for his benign prostate enlargement procedure, the royal family member was diagnosed with cancer.

"His Majesty has today commenced a schedule of regular treatments, during which time he has been advised by doctors to postpone public-facing duties," Buckingham Palace said Feb. 5. "Throughout this period, His Majesty will continue to undertake State business and official paperwork as usual.The King is grateful to his medical team for their swift intervention, which was made possible thanks to his recent hospital procedure. He remains wholly positive about his treatment and looks forward to returning to full public duty as soon as possible."

Sarah Ferguson Is Diagnosed With a Second Type of Cancer

The Duchess of York's rep said in a statement on Jan. 21 that Sarah was recently diagnosed with malignant melanoma, an aggressive form of skin cancer. Several months prior, she underwent a single mastectomy to treat breast cancer.

Queen Margrethe II of Denmark Abdicates the Throne

On Jan. 14, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark made history as she officially abdicated the throne, handing the crown over to her son, now known as King Frederik the 10th

Kate Middleton Is Hospitalized

Kensington Palace announced on Jan. 17 that Kate Middleton underwent planned abdominal surgery and was set to remain in the hospital for 10 to 14 days.

"Based on the current medical advice," the Palace said, "she is unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter."

Prince William Adjusting His Schedule

Amid Kate's recovery, Prince William postponed a number of engagements as he supported his family, including the couple's three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

King Charles III Undergoing Treatment

Shortly after Kate's hospitalization was made public, Buckingham Palace shared that Charles "has sought treatment for an enlarged prostate."

"His Majesty's condition is benign and he will attend hospital next week for a corrective procedure," the statement added. "The King’s public engagements will be postponed for a short period of recuperation."

Luxembourg Welcomes a New Baby

Princess Claire and Prince Felix of Luxembourg welcomed son Balthazar Felix Karl on Jan. 7, the first royal baby of the New Year!

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