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Earlier this week, Kate Middleton made a public appearance with her mother. The two were spotted near Windsor Castle in a Black Audi SUV; Kate’s mother Carole was driving, and Kate gave a stiff, small smile from the passenger seat in a macabre proof-of-life photo after conspiracy theories overtook the internet last week.

Despite the fact that Kensington Palace had announced the “planned abdominal surgery” in January, noting Kate would be out until after Easter, rumors ran wild when Prince Wiliam had to bow out of a reading at the memorial for King Constantine of Greece – his beloved godfather – for “personal reasons.” (The memorial also happened to be the day that William’s good friend Thomas Kingston died by suicide.) Absurd theories that Kate had gotten a BBL (Brazilian Butt Lift), escaped the palace and was living the “van life” or was abducted flooded the internet, prompting Kensington Palace to issue a response, noting, “Kensington Palace made it clear in January the timelines of the princess’ recovery and we’d only be providing significant updates,” her rep told The New York Post exclusively. “That guidance stands.”

And yet – she still made a brief public appearance as, my source notes, “The buzz was too loud. She was basically bullied by the public into making an appearance during her recovery.”

So now, we’ve seen her. She’s alive and not living in a van somewhere in the south of France. Unclutch the pearls and let’s let the woman recover in peace, shall we?