With questions still being raised about Princess Kate Middleton‘s whereabouts on the daily, it seems her return to royal duties may come later than expected.
A new report from The Sunday Times claims that Kate, 42, will not be back in action immediately after Easter weekend. Instead, she’s likely to pick up her schedule when her and Prince William‘s children — Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5 — head back to school. The trio’s Easter holiday ends on April 17, but no official engagements have been announced to mark Kate’s return. (Us Weekly has reached out for comment.)
According to the same report, Kate has attempted to keep up her usual routine at home amid her recovery and has still been cooking dinners for the family of five.
Kensington Palace announced on January 17 that Kate had a planned abdominal surgery and would be out of commission for several weeks while she healed.
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“The surgery was successful, and it is expected that she will remain in hospital for ten to fourteen days, before returning home to continue her recovery,” read a statement shared via social media. “Based on the current medical advice, she is unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter.”
At the time, the palace noted that while Kate’s condition would likely generate public interest, updates would only be given “when there is significant new information to share.”
Kate has since been photographed in cars on two occasions — once with her mother, Carole Middleton, and again with William, 41 — in blurry snaps. The U.K.’s The Sun reported that Kate stepped out with her husband at the Windsor Farm Shop on Saturday, March 16, but no photos were published from the outing. (Onlookers told the outlet that Kate looked “happy, relaxed and healthy” while out and about.)
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The heightened level of privacy has triggered suspicions among social media users, with many wondering whether Kate’s condition is worse than the palace is letting on. As rumors continued to swirl, reps for both William and Kate have attempted to set the record straight.
“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 noted in a February 29 statement. “That guidance stands.”
William’s rep later asserted that his “focus is on work and not on social media.”
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Along with questions about her health, Kate has been accused of manipulating a family photo shared in honor of Mother’s Day in the U.K. Earlier this month, several international news agencies were instructed to “kill” the image. Kate subsequently issued a statement apologizing for the “confusion,” confessing that she does “occasionally experiment with editing” her photos.
While the royal family has remained tight-lipped about Kate’s procedure, a source exclusively told Us that more details may be revealed soon.
“When she goes back to work after Easter, she will likely be ready to talk about it,” the insider said this month, noting that Kate may open up “when she’s doing a royal walkabout and meeting and greeting members of the public.”
