Kate Middleton's first steps back to public life? Princess of Wales ...

Kate Middleton, pictured during a royal engagement in 2020, has been making gradual steps back to life in the spotlight

The Princess of Wales looked ‘happy and well’ after she was seen visiting a farm shop in Windsor, in her first appearance out in public since the Mother’s Day photograph controversy.

Kate Middleton was spotted ‘out shopping with William’ on Saturday 16 March as she visited the store close to her Adelaide Cottage home, onlookers told The Sun. It marked the first time the Princess has been seen out-and-about since the scandal last week, and an apparent return to form for Kate, who is recovering from abdominal surgery which took place in January.

Ever the doting mother, she went on to spend the morning watching her children, George, Charlotte and Louis playing sports alongside Prince William.

The now infamous image released for Mother’s Day marked the first time the Princess had been seen officially since her surgery and was supposed to quell social media rumours which had become a frenzy in recent days. However, after the picture was released on Sunday 10 March, eagle-eyed members of the public were quick to point out a number of ‘errors’ in the image which appeared to have been digitally manipulated. The Palace came under immense pressure over the picture after it was withdrawn by Reuters, AP, Getty and AFP, before Kate Middleton released a statement to reveal she, in fact, had edited it.

After the admission, the Princess was pictured as she joined Prince William on the drive out of Windsor ahead of the Commonwealth Day Service. She didn't join the royal family at the event however, instead attending a ‘private appointment.’

The Princess of Wales on Christmas Day with her husband, Prince William, and their children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis

Reports suggested the Princess has been left hurt by the scandal which has been caused. A palace insider told The Telegraph that Kate had just tried to make the picture the ‘best it could be’. Meanwhile, according to the Mirror a friend of the Princess said she was ‘deeply upset’ over the storm caused by what was supposed to be an ‘innocent family photograph.’

As to exactly when Kate will return to duty, that is still yet to be seen. But, amidst the controversy, Prince William has been continuing with public engagements. He led the royal family at the Commonwealth Day Service on March 11, before attending the private funeral for Thomas Kingston on March 12. On March 14, he visited WEST, the new OnSide Youth Zone in Hammersmith and Fulham, before marking the 25th anniversary of the Diana Award by attending the Legacy Awards.

Updates on the Princess’ wellbeing have been sparse since it was announced she was undergoing planned surgery back in January - however social media rumours and a frenzy of tabloid speculation appear have prompted a number of statements from the palace. When the surgery was announced, an official statement from the palace acknowledged the ‘interest’ this news will garner but asked for respect and privacy during what will no doubt be a challenging time for Kate's closest family.

In a statement, a spokesperson said, ‘The Princess of Wales appreciates the interest this statement will generate.

‘She hopes that the public will understand her desire to maintain as much normality for her children as possible; and her wish that her personal medical information remains private.’