Kate Middleton Shuts Down Conspiracy Theories in First Official Photo Since Abdominal Surgery

Kate Middleton fought back against rumors about her health following her January abdominal surgery.

On Sunday, March 10, a.k.a. Mother’s Day in the U.K., the Princess of Wales shared her first official photo since her medical procedure surrounded by her three kids: Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5.

“Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months. Wishing everyone a Happy Mother’s Day. C 📸 The Prince of Wales, 2024,” Kate penned on the official Instagram of the Prince and Princess of Wales alongside the image of her looking healthy while sitting in a chair as the kiddos put their arms around her.

As OK! previously reported, the snap of the matriarch came after the hashtag "Where is Kate?" went wild with conspiracy theories as the 42-year-old had not been seen since her surgery.

However, after paparazzi photos were released of Kate in a car alongside her mom, Carole Middleton, on March 4, many insisted it was a body double.

“Different face, bad wig, missing mole, car has 5 wheels, driver doesn’t wear sunglasses. Suddenly driving Audi instead of Range Rover. No security,” one individual shared.

Another alleged the surgery was her attempt at leaving the family, writing, “The best sisterhood plot twist of all time would be if Kate Middleton fled to Meghan Markle's home in USA for refuge. Then together they release a tell-all book that finally exposes the system that abused them and ultimately was behind Diana’s death.”

Though some thought the speculation was blown out of proportion, one user doubled down that something bigger is happening with the mother-of-three.

“The #WhereisKateMiddleton rabbit hole leads to crazy AND plausible conspiracy theories. She hasn’t been seen since Christmas. There is a cone of silence from the palace she shared with her husband. It’s a wild ride, tragic, and it’s giving sinister vibes… whew…” they stated.

Though the recent snap seemingly debunked the many theories, one source recently insisted Kate’s medical condition is much more dire than many realize.

"The truth is she’s very sick. It’s worse than anyone knows," they claimed, noting Prince William “is really worried,” and “he’s willing to drop everything to be by her side.”

Per the Palace, Kate plans to return to her royal duties after Easter, however, royal commentator Jack Royston insisted William give the country an update on her well-being before then.

"The public have a completely different perspective on the concept of medical privacy compared to the palace one," he stated on the "Royal Report" podcast. "So, for the palace, respecting Kate's privacy means leaving her to her own devices and giving her as long as the doctors suggest she needs and that's the end of it."

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"To the public, letting Kate have the time off was respecting her privacy," Jack added. "I think they do genuinely have some sympathy for the palace not wanting to go into too much detail about the specifics of her diagnosis. But most ordinary people just see no reason why the royals wouldn't want to release a picture of her."