PRINCESS Kate could return to the public eye on Easter Sunday with a walk to church, it is reported.
The Princess of Wales has not ruled out attending the service following her abdominal surgery, which she could also discuss while on the engagement.
Kate is not expected to return to public engagements until the week of April 15, when her three children will return to school following the Easter break.
It is traditional for the Royal Family to attend an Easter Service, with them attending one at Windsor last year.
An appearance would mark the first time she has officially been seen in public since Christmas Day.
But a palace source noted there had been “no confirmation either way” that Kate would join her family for the service, reports the Telegraph.
But in the first steps to returning to official engagements, Kate made a trip to her favourite farm shop on Saturday.
Onlookers said she looked “happy, relaxed and healthy” on the visit a mile from her Adelaide Cottage home in Windsor.
Then on Sunday, Kate and William spent the morning watching children George, ten, Charlotte, eight, and Louis, five, take part in sports.
A witness at the farm shop in Windsor said: “After all the rumours that had been going round I was stunned to see them there.
“Kate was out shopping with William and she looked happy and she looked well.
“The kids weren’t with them but it’s such a good sign she was healthy enough to pop down to the shops.”
Kate was also embroiled in hurtful criticism over a Mother’s Day picture which she altered using Photoshop.
Her return to the public eye has been highly anticipated following unfounded speculation and gossip online about her whereabouts, which reportedly left the royal couple “devastated”.
Palace sources said Kate is keen to speak about her health battle — but only when she returns to frontline duties.
One friend said: “She and William are at their most open when out interacting with the public.
“I can see a world in which the Princess might discuss her recovery out on engagements.
“If she was going to do it, that’s how she would do it.”
Friends of the couple told The Sunday Times that the couple were fully aware of the news coverage and outlandish conspiracy theories on social media.
An insider reportedly said that speculation around their marriage was “cruel”.
One conspiracy theory spreading was that the couple had split with Kate not wearing her wedding ring in the edited photo.
She and William are at their most open when out interacting with the public
Friend
However, Kate doesn’t always wear her engagement ring – the iconic diamond and sapphire band once worn by Princess Diana.
The social media hysteria and rampant unfair speculation had left the couple “shaken”, the paper reported.
One friend said that Kate and William had hoped and expected their request for privacy to be respected.
They told The Sunday Times: “It’s not that they didn’t think there would be lots of speculation and interest, but they had confidence that people would give them the space they asked for, which they did for about a month.”
While another friend said: “If you want to call out the mistake, it was Kate not telling her team that she’d done it [edited the photo]. But she came out and said sorry.
“The photo was a misstep: even with something as innocent as that, you should disclose altering it.
“But in the history of image cropping and photo altering to tell a story, a lot of the reaction from picture agencies was hypocritical.”
The Sunday Times reported the couple’s bubble is currently small with Kate usually even doing the cooking as they live at Adelaide Cottage.
That bubble has been challenged by conspiracy theories and prying into their private lives.
Now the heir to the throne is worried, friends say, Kate is experiencing what Diana went through.
Kensington Palace maintains Kate is “doing well” and will offer only significant updates as she recovers.
Kate was discharged 13 days after her January operation.
But as she recuperated speculation grew online over her health.
It was stoked further when William pulled out of a memorial service last month.
“Katespiracies” have ranged from her getting cosmetic surgery to appearing as a contestant on The Masked Singer.
In a bid to reassure the public she released a Mother’s Day photo — taken by William — of her and the kids.
But it was found to have been photoshopped — which sparked more hysteria.
The Ministry of Defence also had to make an embarrassing U-turn after suggesting Kate would appear at a Trooping the Colour event in June.
Timeline of Royal health battles
HERE is a date-by-date rundown of the health battles to have struck the Royals this year
JANUARY 16: Kate is admitted to the London Clinic for abdominal surgery
JAN 17: It is announced that the King is to have treatment for a benign enlarged prostate
JAN 18: William spends time at Kate’s bedside
JAN 19: The King flies back from Scotland with the Queen
JAN 21: It is announced Sarah, Duchess of York, has malignant melanoma, a skin cancer
JAN 23: Kate’s hospital stay passes one week
JAN 26: The King is admitted to the London Clinic for treatment
JAN 29: The King is discharged from hospital. Kate leaves the same day
JAN 31: Queen Camilla announces that the King is “getting on, doing his best”
FEBRUARY 5: Buckingham Palace announces the King has cancer, but not of the prostate, and will not carry out public-facing duties
FEB 18: The King appears in good spirits as he attends a Sunday church service in the grounds of Sandringham
FEB 23: The King filmed crying and chuckling while opening some of the 7,000 cards from well-wishers
FEB 27: Prince William pulls out of service last-minute due to ‘personal matter’, sparking wave of unfounded conspiracy theories about Kate’s health
MARCH 4: Kate Middleton pictured in the car with mum Carole on the Windsor estate
MARCH 10: Princess Kate speaks publicly for the first time since her surgery and shares touching photo for Mother’s Day
MARCH 11: Kate forced to apologise for editing sweet family snap before being pictured in back of car with Wills
