‘It’s wonderful to see this photo of Kate!’: Social media users share their joy at seeing the first photo of the Princess of Wales since surgery and wish her a happy Mother’s Day.

Social media users have shared their joy at seeing the first photograph of the Princess of Wales since her surgery.

Princess Kate, 42, was seen beaming with her three children, Prince George, Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte, in a photograph taken by her husband Prince William.

Kate has been out of the spotlight since Christmas Day as she recovers from abdominal surgery at home with her family.

Reacting to the first publicly released image of her, royal fans delighted in her seemingly healthy appearance and wished the royal a Happy Mother’s Day.

One fan wrote on X: ‘Wonderful to see this photograph of the Princess of Wales posted for Mother’s Day. Perfect time. We look forward to her return to public duties when her health permits.

Another said: “I’m so happy they gave us such a beautiful picture.” This picture means a lot more than usual given what you’ve been through as a family this year. I hope Catherine has a wonderful day full of love and joy.”

A third wrote: “Happy Mother’s Day to the Princess of Wales.” It’s good to see your recovery.’

A fourth added: ‘Thank you for this photo. Wishing Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales a happy Mother’s Day, get well soon.”

Posting the photo online, Kate wrote: ‘Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the past two months. Wishing you all a happy Mother’s Day.’ She signed the message with a ‘C’ for Catherine.

Kate has been away from royal duties since she was admitted to the London Clinic for “planned abdominal surgery” on January 16.

The mother-of-three’s absence from royal engagements since the Christmas Day church service at Sandringham has sparked widespread speculation on social media, but the positive Mother’s Day update has been welcomed by royal fans.

Kensington Palace confirmed that Kate’s surgery was successful and on January 29 she returned to Adelaide Cottage in Windsor to join her children almost two weeks after the surgery.

Last Monday, she was photographed for the first time since the medical procedure after American gossip website TMZ published photos of her driving through Windsor with her mother, Carole Middleton.

Middleton’s brother and Kate’s uncle, Gary Goldsmith, revealed on Celebrity Big Brother that his niece was receiving “the best care in the world.”