Princess Kate Middleton is recovering in hospital after having abdominal surgery, Kensington Palace has announced in a rare statement.
“Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales was admitted to hospital yesterday,” read the statement. “The surgery was successful, and it is expected that she will remain in hospital for 10-14 days, before returning home to continue her recovery.”
It’s unclear what led Princess Kate, 42, to need surgery, but the statement assured that the procedure was planned.
The Palace confirmed that the princess has been advised to not return to her public duties until after Easter, which takes place in late March this year.
The message also urged the public to understand the royal’s need for privacy, particularly to “maintain as much normality for her children as possible”, with a wish for her personal medical information to remain private, as per the statement. Any further updates will only be provided should any significant new information come up.
While it’s not known what her condition was prior to undergoing surgery, Princess Kate’s last public appearance was last month, when she, Prince William, and their three children (Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis) stepped out for the family’s annual Christmas Day service at Sandringham.
Wearing a monochromatic blue ensemble that matched her husband’s outfit, the royal seemed to be in good spirits and health.
The news of Princess Kate’s hospitalisation was soon followed by news of her father-in-law, King Charles, also undergoing medical treatment.
As announced by Buckingham Palace, the King, 75, is being treated for an enlarged prostate. The official statement stressed to followers that the condition is benign as well as “common with thousands of men each year”, and the royal will undertake a “corrective procedure” next week.
