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Kate Middleton broke cover over the weekend and was spotted enjoying some fresh air with Prince William at the Windsor Farm Shop nearly three months after her last official royal outing.
Body language expert Blanca Cobb exclusively told Fox News Digital that Middleton appeared to be happy “with a genuine smile on her face” and a “pep in her step.”
Cobb noticed the Princess of Wales was walking “slightly ahead of Prince William” as they toured the market near her family’s Adelaide Cottage home.
PRINCE WILLIAM ‘SIMMERING’ OVER KATE MIDDLETON HEALTH SPECULATION, IS ‘BOUND TO CRACK’: EXPERT
Kate Middleton strolled alongside Prince William over the weekend in the first public outing for the Princess of Wales since her surgery in January. (TMZ/SUN/MEGA/BACKGRID)
“However, their pace is off tempo, with Kate walking faster than her husband,” Cobb said. “You tend to walk faster when you’re in a good mood or in a hurry. Or, perhaps, William is feeling a bit distracted, which might account for his slower walk.
“Additionally, William is carrying a bag in his left hand, which doesn’t allow him to get closer to Kate and hold her hand.”
Their three children — Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis — were not pictured with the couple in the short video.
The prince and princess wore casual attire on their afternoon out. Kate dressed down in black leggings and a windbreaker while William wore jeans and a blue coat.
“It’s not customary to see the prince and princess out and aboutin casual clothing in a casualsetting,” Cobb said. “This might explain why no one around them seems to notice their real identity because they blend in as everyday people.
Middleton wore a black jacket with leggings while stopping by the market. (TMZ/SUN/MEGA/BACKGRID)
“Some people might assume that it isn’t Kate because she hasn’t been in public since her surgery, and she’s not in royal attire participating in a royal event. Kate is out of the royal context, and the casualness of the situation and her attire might be throwing some people off.”
Middleton’s every move since her hospitalization has created controversy, and this latest sighting is no exception. Social media users have gone wild with a #FakeKate hashtag, claiming the woman shown in the video from Saturday wasn’t actually the Princess of Wales.
Middleton was also entrenched in controversy when Getty Images confirmed Tuesday that an April 2023 photograph of the late Queen Elizabeth II surrounded by her grandchildren was manipulated. Middleton allegedly captured the photograph.
A Getty Images spokesperson told Fox News Digital, “Getty Images is undertaking a review of handout images and, in accordance with its editorial policy, is placing an editor’s note on images where the source has suggested they could be digitally enhanced.”
Getty Images added an editors’ note to its website and cautioned clients the image was “digitally enhanced at source.”
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Prince William stayed close to Middleton’s side during their visit to the Windsor Farm Shop. (TMZ/SUN/MEGA/BACKGRID)
Middleton is believed to be returning to royal responsibilities around Easter, the palace has stated. (TMZ/SUN/MEGA/BACKGRID)
Prior to that, Middleton was pictured riding in the backseat of a vehicle alongside the Prince of Wales.
Online speculation grew quickly after the image was released, with social media users implying the photo had been edited, prompting the photographer to speak out.
“We don’t change our photos in Photoshop other than adjusting the light levels if necessary,” Jim Bennett, who works with Goff photos, confirmed to Fox News Digital.
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Representatives for the Prince and Princess of Wales did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
The princess was admitted to a hospital for a planned abdominal surgery on Jan. 17. On March 10, Middleton shared a photo on Instagram of herself alongside her and William’s three kids for U.K. Mother’s Day.
However, the photo was pulled from major photo agencies due to “manipulation” concerns.
Metadata from Middleton’s Mother’s Day photo revealed the image had been digitally altered multiple times before it was published on the official royal social media platforms, Fox News Digital previously confirmed.
Middleton was last pictured in public on Christmas Day. (Getty Images)
Information included in the photo data showed timestamps indicating the photo was first edited at 9:54 p.m. Friday, March 8, in Photoshop. On March 9, the image was altered once again at 9:39 a.m. The data does not indicate who altered the photo.
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The Princess of Wales apologized one day later and admitted that the image shared online had been edited.
The Associated Press withdrew an image of Middleton and her children; Middleton later apologized. (Associated Press)
“Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing,” she wrote. “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.”
Royal watchers have been waiting with bated breath for a glimpse of Middleton after she was hospitalized in January. Her health and whereabouts have faced intense scrutiny.
Middleton was scheduled to appear at the Trooping the Colour ceremony in June but was removed from the program. (Chris Jackson)
Earlier this month, a spokesperson for Kensington Palace told Fox News Digital, “Kensington Palace made it clear in January the timelines of the Princess’s recovery, and we’d only be providing significant updates. The guidance in January stands that the Princess would be recuperating at home in Windsor.”
The spokesperson reiterated the princess is “doing well.”
Tracy Wright is an entertainment reporter for Fox News Digital. Send story tips to Tracy.Wright@fox.com.
