Kim Kardashian under fire for Kate Middleton joke

Kim Kardashian is being criticised for seemingly trolling the Princess of Wales as rumours continue to swirl about her recovery from abdominal surgery.

The reality TV star posted a carousel of images to her social media promoting her latest outfit with the caption: "On my way to go find Kate."

That comment appears to refer to the absence of Kate Middleton from the public eye since surgery in January.

While Kensington Palace said the Princess of Wales would return to the public eye around Easter time, rampant speculation on social media has erupted, with some claiming she was in a coma and with others saying Prince William had been having an affair.

The rumours were exacerbated by a disastrous Mother's Day social media post by Kensington Palace of a family photo Kate later confessed to having "edited".

Not everyone was a fan of Kardashian's apparent joke, with some saying she was being distasteful.

"She's been in hospital and resting at home and this is something to joke about?!!" one angrily posted on Instagram.

"How low can you go Kim? Poking fun at a wife and mother who has and is seriously ill? Just wow," another replied.

Another claimed Kardashian was "desperate" and trying to capitalise on Middleton's fame.

"This goes to show just how much power HRH Princess Catherine has. Global figures trying to jump on a so-called story. How embarrassing and desperate they all look," they said.

Kate has not made any public comments about her own health and recovery. She has only addressed the digital photo editing scandal by issuing a rare apology after the picture was pulled by news media outlets once it was established it was not authentic.