Kate Middleton is taking some time away from the spotlight to recover from abdominal surgery. Kensington Palace announced Wednesday that the 42-year-old princess will remain hospitalized for 10 to 14 days at The London Clinic.
The royal will also postpone her upcoming engagements until after Easter. Kate Middleton wished to apologize to those she would not be seeing and looks forward to returning to her duties as soon as she can.
1. Kensington Palace Announces Kate’s Surgery
The royal family tends to keep their personal medical matters private, but this time it appears that Kate Middleton has a serious health issue. The future queen has been hospitalized after undergoing “planned abdominal surgery” on Wednesday, Kensington Palace announced. The palace says that the 42-year-old princess will be staying at The London Clinic for up to two weeks. She will not return to public engagements until after Easter, and her husband Prince William is expected to postpone many of his engagements to be by her side during this time.
The Palace has not shared details of the medical condition that has hospitalized the royal, but it did say that the procedure was a success and that the princess’s prognosis is good. The statement also revealed that the surgery did not involve her stomach, lungs, spleen or appendix, which is fairly typical for abdominal surgeries.
In a separate statement released on the same day, Buckingham Palace said that King Charles III would undergo a procedure for an enlarged prostate next week. The king will be required to postpone some of his engagements for a short period of time, but the statement said that the treatment was a “corrective procedure” and that the 75-year-old monarch has sought this care “in common with thousands of men each year.”
Both the queen and king have been advised by doctors that their health requires them to step aside from their usual routines, so they have both decided to cancel their upcoming engagements. It is a move that is likely to be appreciated by the public, as it will give them both a chance to rest and recover from their ailments.
The last time we saw Kate Middleton in public was on Christmas Day, when she joined the rest of the royal family for a walk to church at Sandringham. The family coordinated in navy for the occasion, with Kate Middleton sporting a Juliette Botterill Millinery hat, an Alexander McQueen coat and suede Gianvito Rossi boots. This is not the first time that Kate has experienced health issues: She had complications with her three pregnancies, including hyperemesis gravidarum (a severe form of morning sickness). In fact, her medical struggles prompted her to use hypnobirthing techniques during her deliveries.
2. Kate Middleton Postpones Engagements
The Royal Family typically maintains a full schedule of public engagements, but Kate Middleton is taking time out while she recovers from abdominal surgery. The Duchess of Cambridge, 42, stepped back from her official duties while she remains in hospital and in the days immediately after her return to home, Kensington Palace said Wednesday in a statement. “Based on her current medical advice, Her Royal Highness is unlikely to resume her public duties until after Easter,” the statement read.
The palace noted that Kate Middleton requested that the reason for her hospitalization remain private. The mother-of-three is expected to remain in the London Clinic for ten to fourteen days and is expected to need at least two months to recuperate at home in her private residence at Adelaide Cottage, which the couple moved into in 2022 after living in an apartment in the palace.
According to a source close to the royal family, Middleton’s condition is non-cancerous and the recovery process is likely to be quick. The source also told PEOPLE that Prince William is adjusting his work schedule to be by her side during the rest of her recovery.
Kate’s last public appearance was at Christmas when she joined the rest of the royal family as they walked to church for their annual Christmas service. She had also just hosted her third annual Together at Christmas charity concert and celebrated the first year of her early childhood campaign, The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood.
In her absence, she has postponed a number of engagements including attending the BAFTA’s on Feb. 18 and the St David’s Day parade March 1. She will also miss her husband Prince William’s appearance at the Diplomatic Reception at Buckingham Palace on Feb. 17.
The couple’s children are expected to be by Kate’s side for the remainder of her hospital stay and in the immediate days after her return to home. The pair are very close and Kate regularly carries out a variety of duties related to the children, including their school runs.
Prince Charles, 75, has likewise adjusted his schedule to be by his wife’s side while she is in the hospital and will continue to postpone his engagements until after Easter. He will not travel abroad and is expected to suspend other royal duties until his wife returns home, Kensington Palace said Wednesday.
3. Kate Middleton’s Surgery Was Non-Cancerous
The royal has remained out of the spotlight since she underwent surgery. She was seen with her husband and children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, on Christmas Day when the family took part in their annual walk to church. She had been expected to attend an engagement on January 9, but the event was postponed for her health. It is now unclear when she will return to public duty, but Kensington Palace has confirmed her surgery was successful.
In a statement released Jan. 17, the palace revealed Kate Middleton, 42, underwent “planned abdominal surgery” at The London Clinic on Tuesday. They also shared the mother-of-three would remain hospitalized for 10 to 14 days to recover, but will be able to return home once she has recovered. They also confirmed her condition was non-cancerous.
As Kate Middleton recovers, Kate is likely to remain out of the public eye for months. She is based in Windsor, where she and her husband live with their three children, but Kensington Palace has promised to only update the public when there is “significant new information to share.”
Kate’s hospital stay comes less than 24 hours after Buckingham Palace announced King Charles III will undergo surgery for an enlarged prostate. The 75-year-old monarch will visit hospital next week for a procedure that is considered benign.
In the past, the royal has been hospitalized for a variety of reasons, including a high-risk pregnancy when she was pregnant with the couple’s oldest son, Prince George. The Duchess suffered from hyperemesis gravidarum, a severe form of morning sickness that caused her to lose weight and suffer electrolyte imbalances. She was also hospitalized for a respiratory infection and severe gastroenteritis during her last pregnancy with son Louis.
The royal will rely on her husband Prince William to be by her side during this time. PEOPLE has learned the heir to the throne will postpone many of his own engagements to spend time with his wife. He will also be focusing on caring for their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Louis.
4. Kate Middleton’s Recovery Will Have a “Huge Impact” on the Royal Family
As one of the most prominent members of the royal family, Kate Middleton’s abdominal surgery will have a “huge impact” behind-the-scenes, according to King Charles III’s former butler. “I can tell you this has been a huge blow for her,” Grant Harrold told The Post on Wednesday. “She is a popular member of the family and everybody loves her. It will force Prince William to pick up a lot more of the family’s duties.”
While it is not uncommon for members of the royal family to maintain privacy when it comes to medical issues, it was rare that Kensington Palace did not divulge more details about Kate’s surgery. The Duchess of Cambridge, 42, married Prince William in 2011 and currently has three children — son George, 10, daughter Charlotte, 8, and son Louis, 5. Despite the titillating media coverage surrounding her relationships with her siblings and their spouses and constant drama in the public eye, Kate Middleton has been able to etch out an identity for herself as a mother, patron of charities, and dauntless royal companion on foreign tours.
The royal is also a regular presence on the television screen, where she has been hosting a cooking series, presenting charity fundraisers, and voicing animated characters. She is a trusted aide to her husband, the heir to the British throne, and often joins him on his official engagements in addition to leading her own charitable endeavors.
Kate has stepped out for her first appearance since the surgery to open the new Evelina London Children’s Hospital today, December 5, where she is a patron. She wowed fans in a blue trouser suit by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen and navy high heels.
The Princess of Wales will remain out of the spotlight until after Easter based on her medical advice, meaning we won’t see her at some of the royals’ most anticipated annual events like St. Patrick’s Day festivities and their yearly church service. Meanwhile, King Charles III will undergo treatment for an enlarged prostate next week. He will also be forced to postpone some of his own public engagements.
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