London, UK - Kensington Palace released the first official photo of Princess Kate on social media on Sunday, nearly two months after the royal had abdominal surgery, during which she has stayed out of the public eye.

The 42-year-old princess, whose husband Prince William is heir to the British throne, has been recovering mainly at their home in Windsor, west of London, since leaving hospital on January 29.

The photo shows the Princess of Wales sitting on a garden chair, dressed in jeans, a sweater and a dark jacket, smiling, surrounded by her three laughing children, George, Charlotte and Louis.

"Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months," read a message accompanying the photo on X.

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"Wishing everyone a Happy Mother's Day," said the message, which was signed "C" for Catherine.

In a statement, the palace clarified that the photo was taken "in Windsor earlier this week" by Prince William.

The family photograph is the first official image of Kate released by the royal family since her hospitalization at the London Clinic on January 16 for an abdominal surgery.

The future queen was last pictured in public during a Christmas Day walk in Sandringham, eastern England.

This came after a flurry of conspiracy theories spread on social media over Kate's absence from the spotlight.

Kate's hospitalization came almost simultaneously with the announcement that William's father, King Charles, had been admitted for surgery for a benign prostate condition and subsequently diagnosed with an unrelated cancer.