Princess of Wales pictured after apologising for editing Mother's Day photo

It is the first time she has been seen after having to apologise for any confusion over the family photograph issued by Kensington Palace, ITV News' Royal Editor Chris Ship reports

The Princess of Wales made an unexpected public appearance being driven out of Windsor Castle with Prince William, as he travelled to the Commonwealth Day service that she did not attend.

It is the first time she has been seen after having to apologise for any confusion over the family photograph issued by Kensington Palace, admitting she had edited the picture.

The photo of Kate and her three children - the first since her abdominal surgery - was issued on Sunday after weeks of speculation about her whereabouts.

But it was met with widespread claims it was edited.

In a statement released by Kensington Palace on Monday, Kate said: "Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing.

"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. C"

The photo of Kate in a chair surrounded by her three children was credited to her husband, William, Prince of Wales and heir to the throne, and was said to have been taken earlier in the week in Windsor.

Kensington Palace said it would not be reissuing the original unedited photograph.

On Wednesday, the Princess of Wales left Windsor in a car with the Prince of Wales as William was driven to the Commonwealth Day service in London.

Kate is not attending the service, but is understood to have a private appointment.

It comes after the photo was removed by PA and other news agencies, including Associated Press, AFP and Reuters, because it appeared to be "manipulated", fueling more conjecture.

“Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months,” Kate said on social media. “Wishing everyone a Happy Mother’s Day.”

PA initially published the photo, which was issued by Kensington Palace.

A spokesperson for the UK’s national news agency said: “Like other news agencies, PA Media issued the handout image provided by Kensington Palace of the Princess of Wales and her children in good faith yesterday.

“We became aware of concerns about the image and we carried a report about it last night, and made clear that we were seeking urgent clarification about the image from Kensington Palace. In the absence of that clarification, we are killing the image from our picture service.”

Kate has been absent from official duties since her procedure in January, giving rise a to a number of conspiracy theories about the royal.

Kate is due to be off until at least "Easter" - we don't know if that means Easter weekend or after the Easter school holidays.

There is lots of speculation about what she is recovering from, but her office, Kensington Palace, will only say "abdominal surgery", and beyond that she is entitled to a degree of medical privacy. Kensington Palace previously said it was not cancer-related.

Kate underwent a planned operation on January 16 at the London Clinic – the same private hospital where the King underwent treatment for an enlarged prostate.

Charles, 75, visited his daughter-in-law’s bedside after being admitted himself on January 26 – the 11th day of Kate’s stay. She was also visited by William.

Kate left the hospital on January 29 – almost two weeks later – and returned to Adelaide Cottage in Windsor.

The 42-year-old future queen was last pictured in public during a Christmas Day walk in Sandringham, Norfolk, other than a more recent paparazzi photo.

William, 41, had temporarily stepped back from his royal role to juggle caring for his wife and their children, but carried out his first public engagements since her surgery in early February.

Kate’s parents, Carole and Michael Middleton, and siblings, Pippa Matthews and James Middleton, were expected to be hands-on in helping the Waleses.

This is the Royal Rota - our weekly podcast about the royal family, with ITV News Royal Editor Chris Ship and Producer Lizzie Robinson.