Internet reacts to reports of Kate Middleton being spotted for the first time since abdominal surgery in January

According to TMZ, the Princess of Wales, 42, was photographed Monday by Backgrid, a photo-hosting agency, near Windsor Castle in the U.K. sitting in the passenger seat of an Audi driven by her mother, Carole Middleton.

British newspaper The Daily Mail reported that Monday’s princess sighting came via paparazzi pictures that were not authorized by the palace.

The casual outing — featuring the princess in sunglasses and without security — is the first time that the mom-of-three has been seen in public since she celebrated Christmas at Sandringham estate in eastern England with husband Prince William, their three children and rest of the royal family.

The senior royal was admitted to a London Clinic on Jan. 16, Kensington Palace said, for a planned abdominal surgery and successfully underwent the procedure.

However, the palace added, the princess was expected to be hospitalized for 10 to 14 days after the mystery surgery and “before returning home to continue her recovery.” She would return to her public duties after Easter — March 31 — based on current medical advice.

“The Princess of Wales appreciates the interest this statement will generate,” Kensington Palace said. “She hopes that the public will understand her desire to maintain as much normality for her children as possible; and her wish that her personal medical information remains private.”

Despite the palace's pleas for privacy, the announcement — coupled with father-in-law King Charles III’s simultaneous health issues — ignited even more interest in her condition and plenty of wild internet speculation given her absence from the public eye, as well as that of her children and parents.

Amid theories about an organ donation to Charles, a Brazilian butt lift, mommy makeover or the possibility that she was in a coma, the topic #WhereisKateMiddleton became a viral talking point on X with thousands of people continously chiming in with their own versions of the Princess' strange disappearance.

As the palace maintained an unusual silence on the matter, the speculations continued - some said she had fled the royal family, others suggested Prince William, her husband, had been caught cheating on her while others even said she had eloped with a top rap superstar.

So massive was the interest in her whereabouts that British broadcaster the BBC even did an entire article titled "Analysis: A royal dilemma as public curiosity over Kate's health grows."

Fashion magazine Vogue also did an opinion piece titled "The Curious Case of the “Disappearing” Princess" and the New York Times too exclusively revisited the hot topic.

Despite her supposed sighting, which has been backed up by at least a grainy photo, people are still unconvinced. Many are still questioning the authenticity of the photo shared by TMZ, pointing out that the woman in the photo appears to have a bigger face, with some suggesting that it could actually be Pippa Middleton, her younger sister, and not Kate.

While juxtaposing two photos (of a clearer Kate and paparazzi Kate) someone on X asked, "A fake or body double. Kate Middleton has a mole above her lip, right below the apple of her cheek. TMZ, Backgrid, and Carole Middleton cooked up a lie? Prince William, time to end this farce. Where is Kate Middleton?" 

Kate left the hospital on Jan. 29 and returned to Adelaide Cottage in Windsor, where she was reunited with her kids. Prince William, the second in line to the British throne, temporarily stepped back from his royal duties to manage childcare but continued with other royal engagements in Wrexham and London.

Last week, the 41-year-old prince — who is also expected to take on more royal duties after his father’s cancer diagnosis — provided further fodder for the rumor mill when he cited a “personal matter” for his absence from the funeral of his godfather, King Constantine of Greece.