Kate Middleton
Kate Middleton, seen here during King Charles III's coronation in May 2023, is recovering following an abdominal surgery on Jan. 16. The Royal Family/X

Pippa Middleton may have just hinted at how her sister, Kate Middleton, is doing following her abdominal surgery when she was spotted all smiles during a family outing earlier this week.

The 40-year-old enjoyed a beach day with her husband James Matthews and their three children in Eden Rock beach in St Barts. Photos from the Daily Mail showed Pippa laughing and enjoying her time with her family. She was spotted running around on the sand with her daughters before diving into the sea with her son.

The Matthews family owns Eden Rock resort, which is one of the region's most exclusive hotels. It has hosted celebrities in the past including Leonardo DiCaprio, Elton John and Brad Pitt.

Moreover, the princess' brother, James Middleton, also recently went on a ski holiday with his family. He posted photos from the trip on his Instagram and paid tribute to his wife, Alizee Thevenet, but made no mention of his big sister's health.

The family outings come following reports that Kate Middleton is recovering from a successful planned abdominal surgery. Her siblings and parents, Michael and Carole Middleton, have not publicly commented on her recovery.

Likewise, Kensington Palace has so far only issued two statements, saying that the future Queen is recovering well and that she will commence with her royal duties after Easter. But it could be a good sign of the princess' health seeing that both Pippa and James are having a good time while she is recovering.

She could be well enough to go out for a change of scenery after having spent most of her recovery period indoors. First, she stayed at the London Clinic for nearly two weeks after her surgery and then at her home in Adelaide Cottage in Windsor.

According to royal correspondent Richard Eden, the Princess of Wales has left home to join her husband, Prince William, to spend their children's half-term break from school at Sandringham. They left on Feb. 8 and he cited an unnamed friend of the princess who shared that she is "recovering well".

The source said: "She was looking forward to a change of scene and will be able to take it easy in Norfolk while the children let off steam with William."

Likewise, royal correspondent for the BBC Jennie Bond also thinks the trip to Sandringham, at their home in Anmer Hall in Norfolk, is a "very encouraging" sign on Kate Middleton's health.

"I think it's very encouraging that Kate has been well enough to make the trip to Sandringham. It shows that she is making a steady recovery. Also, the change will probably be most welcome... the same four walls must get a bit tedious when you are recuperating as she is," she told OK!

Bond added: "They also have quite a few friends who live there like the Marquess and Marchioness of Cholmondeley, so they can have a bit of fun."

She also shared her thoughts on why Prince William and Kate Middleton opted to take their children to Norfolk instead of at Balmoral in Sandringham. She explained: "One of the great beauties of Norfolk is that it is so accessible from London. Of course, if you're royal, you can get anywhere quicker than most – and sometimes they probably use a helicopter - but even by car it's only a couple of hours and that makes it so much easier than getting to Balmoral."

Bond acknowledged that their home in Windsor is lovely, but she noted that it can also "be very intrusive" as it is "on the Heathrow flight path". She thinks that Prince William and Kate Middleton can "find all they want as a family in the wide open spaces that Norfolk offers".