Kate Middleton and Prince William Spotted Leaving Windsor Castle Amid Photo Controversy

Kate Middleton is sticking to her schedule.

Shortly after issuing an apology over her edited family photo, the Princess of Wales was spotted leaving Windsor Castle alongside husband Prince William March 11. In photos published by the Daily Mail, the couple was seen sitting next to each other in the backseat of a car as Kate—who is recovering from abdominal surgery—looked out of her window.

At the time they were photographed, William was en route to Commonwealth Day services at London's Westminster Abbey while Kate was heading to an appointment, according to multiple reports.

Earlier in the day, Kate reacted to the controversy over the Mother's Day U.K. portrait she shared on her and William's social media accounts March 10. 

"Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing," the 42-year-old wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. "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."

The photo in question, which featured her kids Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5, was pulled from photo agencies amid accusations it had been manipulated. 

"The Associated Press initially published the photo, which was issued by Kensington Palace," AP said in a statement to NBC News March 10. "The AP later retracted the image because at closer inspection, it appears that the source had manipulated the image in a way that did not meet AP's photo standards. The photo shows an inconsistency in the alignment of Princess Charlotte's left hand."

This incident has only continued to fuel social media conspiracy theories, which have been running rampant amid Kate's time out of the public eye. In fact, the family photo was supposed to mark the first official portrait of Kate since her operation, though it has now made headlines for other reasons. 

E! News has reached out to Kensington Palace for additional comment and has not heard back.

Since announcing Kate's health news in early 2024, the Palace has maintained that she will remain out of the spotlight until Easter March 31. 

"The Princess of Wales wishes to apologize to all those concerned for the fact that she has to postpone her upcoming engagements," their Jan. 17 statement noted. "She looks forward to reinstating as many as possible, as soon as possible."

Kate herself even addressed royal fans in her Mother's Day message. "Thank you for your kind wishes," she captioned the family portrait, "and continued support over the last two months."

To revisit the latest royal family news, including King Charles III's own health journey, keep reading...

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."

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."

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.

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.

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."

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.

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. 

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."

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.

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."

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