Where is Kate Middleton?
Celebrating Mother’s Day with her family, according to a new Instagram post.
After weeks of wild speculation about her health, the state of her marriage and even the collapse of the House of Windsor, Catherine, Princess of Wales, marked the U.K. holiday on Sunday by sharing a photo of herself surrounded by her children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
“Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months,” read the caption, signed “C.” “Wishing everyone a Happy Mother’s Day.” The photo, in which the seated, smiling Kate is flanked by the three grinning youngsters in cozy sweaters, is credited in the post to William, Prince of Wales.
The Mother’s Day message comes a week after the senior royal was captured in paparazzi photos making her first public outing since undergoing abdominal surgery Jan. 16. Despite a Kensington Palace statement Jan. 17 announcing that Catherine was “unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter,” her so-called “disappearance” in the time since has provoked rampant gossip online over the nature of her ailment.
Such questions exploded from Reddit threads and tabloid pages to mainstream news outlets last month when William cited personal matters as his reason for missing the funeral of his late godfather, King Constantine of Greece. Also contributing to anxiety over the state of the British royal family is King Charles III’s concurrent treatment for an undisclosed form of cancer.
The Mother’s Day Instagram post may reassure many of the prince and princess’ 15.2 million followers that all is well, but it seems unlikely to placate everyone: Already trending on Google on Sunday alongside the news was “Kate Middleton wedding ring,” as observers noted that the placement of Catherine’s hands around her children’s waists obscured the view of her jewelry.
Those not prone to internet sleuthing may find the post useful for another reason, however: As a reminder that U.S. Mother’s Day is just two months away.
Senior writer Meredith Blake contributed to this report.