The Princess of Wales is in a private London hospital recovering after undergoing successful abdominal surgery and is unlikely to resume public duties until after Easter, a statement from Kensington Palace has confirmed
The Princess of Wales is in hospital after undergoing successful abdominal surgery and won’t be resuming public duties until after Easter, Kensington Palace has announced.
Kate, 42, was admitted to The London Clinic yesterday for the planned procedure. The future Queen is expected to remain in hospital for 10 to 14 days before returning home to continue her recovery and she wishes to apologise for any upcoming engagements that she has had to postpone. The Palace refused to confirm what Kate was being treated for but confirmed the condition was non-cancerous.
Just an hour and a half after Kensington Palace issued the statement on Kate, Buckingham Palace announced that King Charles will also undergo treatment for an enlarged prostate next week.
It is understood that Prince William will curtail all public engagements while his wife is in hospital and immediately after she returns home after being discharged as well as scaling back duties afterwards as he supports Kate and their children. Kate is also close to her family, and her parents Carole and Michael Middleton and siblings Pippa Matthews and James Middleton are set to rally round and help support her recovery at the Waleses’ home in Windsor.
Kate’s recovery will see her miss events such as the Bafta awards, which she and William usually attend, and the Royal Family’s annual Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey, which is set to take place on March 11 as well as St Patrick’s Day celebrations. It will also throw the couple’s reported trip to Italy in the spring into doubt too. It is not expected that the couple will embark on any international travel in the coming months.
A statement from Kensington Palace this afternoon said: “Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales was admitted to The London Clinic yesterday for planned abdominal surgery. The surgery was successful and it is expected that she will remain in hospital for ten to fourteen days, before returning home to continue her recovery.
“Based on the current medical advice, she is unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter. The Princess of Wales appreciates the interest this statement will generate. She hopes that the public will understand her desire to maintain as much normality for her children as possible; and her wish that her personal medical information remains private.
“Kensington Palace will, therefore, only provide updates on Her Royal Highness’ progress when there is significant new information to share. The Princess of Wales wishes to apologise to all those concerned for the fact that she has to postpone her upcoming engagements. She looks forward to reinstating as many as possible, as soon as possible.”
Shortly after the Kate statement, Buckingham Palace – which oversees the King and Queen Camilla’s official business put out a statement of their own relating to Charles’ health. They said Charles’s condition was benign and he would be having a corrective procedure. His engagements will be postponed for a short period of recuperation.
The statement read: “In common with thousands of men each year, the King has sought treatment for an enlarged prostate. His Majesty’s condition is benign and he will attend hospital next week for a corrective procedure. The King’s public engagements will be postponed for a short period of recuperation.”
It is understood Charles was keen to share the details of his diagnosis to encourage other men who may be experiencing symptoms to get checked in line with public health advice.
Kate was last seen in public on Christmas Day, just over three weeks ago, when she joined the rest of the Royal Family for their traditional walk to church in Sandringham. She was seen with William and their three children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis and greeted wellwishers after the traditional service.
Her last entry before this in the Court Circular, the official record of royal engagements, was on December 8, when she hosted her annual Christmas Carol concert at Westminster Abbey. George, Charlotte and Louis made a rare public for the annual Westminster Abbey event, which has quickly become a firm fixture in the festive royal calendar. The service, where William also gave a reading, reflected the princess’ early years Shaping Us campaign launched last January, which aims to highlight and promote the significance of the formative years of a child’s life.
Last week, Kate celebrated her 42nd birthday and to mark the occasion, an image taken of the princess behind the scenes at Buckingham Palace on Coronation Day last May was shared on the Royal Family social media accounts. The photo shows a beaming Kate smiling in her her deep blue Royal Victorian Order mantle edged in scarlet and silver bullion and floral headpiece as she chats with her father-in-law.
The London Clinic, where Kate is being treated, is thought to be the largest private hospital in England and it’s website say it has “teams of experts supported by world-class medical resources”. It adds: “We invest in the latest technologies and are proud to be part of the community of world-class hospitals that makes London a globally renowned centre for medical care.”
Other royals to be treated at the hospital in Marylebone include the late Prince Philip, who underwent “abdominal investigations” there in 2013. The late Queen’s sister Princess Margaret also underwent a procedure there to remove a benign skin lesion in January 1980.
Police are monitoring doorways into the facility in central London, where a Union Jack flag flies above the main entrance. The Princess of Wales can expect the best treatment available at The London Clinic, a charity since 1935 which operates “as teams of experts with world-class resources dedicated to maintaining the highest standards of medical care.”
Its website says patients “are surrounded by the latest treatments and advice with everything you need to get back to your best health”. The clinic says its ‘exceptional’ patient care is “a way of life” for its teams.
“Our nurses, clinicians and support teams are dedicated to the care of a very small number of patients, so they have more time for you,” its website states. “They’ll be with you every step of the way, tailoring your care around you and giving the peace-of-mind that comes with knowing you’re in the best hands.”
Kate usually enjoys good health but was previously admitted to hospital while pregnant with oldest son George after suffering from hyperemesis gravidarum – severe morning sickness. Like the rest of the royal family, she has had a busy, turbulent past couple of years, with the Platinum Jubilee and the late Queen’s death in 2022, and the coronation in 2023, as well as adjusting to her new role as the Princess of Wales.
The Waleses also faced the ongoing rift between William and his brother the Duke of Sussex, with Harry making controversial claims about Charles, Camilla, William and Kate in his Netflix documentary and memoir Spare. William’s former university flatmate has carefully carved out her charity work since marrying the prince in 2011 and becoming an HRH, focusing on mental health and early childhood.
Seen as the monarchy’s safe pair of hands and as having a “keep calm and carry on” approach, Kate has been heralded as channelling the same characteristics of charm, politeness and toughness as the late Queen Mother, who was once described as “a marshmallow made on a welding machine”.
