On Christmas Day, Catherine, Princess of Wales, attended mass at St. Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham, Norfolk, England, dressed head to toe in royal blue. She walked to the church with her husband, Prince William, and their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, much as she had done in previous years.
Waving to the gathered crowds and the cameras, “She looked lovely for the occasion“, said Town & Country.
Since then, the princess has not been seen in public.
Three weeks later, on January 17, Kensington Palace announced that Catherine, 42, formerly known as Kate Middleton, had been admitted to the London Clinic to undergo “a planned abdominal operation.”
The surprise news about Catherine’s health was amplified by the fact that just an hour later the palace announced that King Charles III, 75, would receive treatment for an enlarged prostate next week next. Two of the most senior members of the British royal family were now facing health problems.
As the news began to return to normal – on Wednesday, King Charles was photographed being kicked out of his home, Clarence House, and he resumed some official activities, including meeting Prime Minister Rishi Sunak – Rumors have started to surface again about the Princess of Wales. Although Prince William, 41, has also scaled back his royal duties while his wife recovers, this week he pulled out of a planned appearance during a memorial service at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor for his godfather, King Constantine of the Hellenes, who died in January 2023.
This led a palace source to address the latest twist in the saga, and perhaps attempt to put the rumors to rest, in language that did nothing. The princess, the source told People: “it continues to go well.”
William’s absence from the memorial and the reason given by the palace – an undisclosed personal matter – have only fueled continued speculation about Catherine’s health. Little is known about his medical procedure, leading to much conjecture, concern, and conspiracy theories.
What type of surgery did Kate Middleton have?
It remains a mystery to the public. Abdominal surgery can range from an appendectomy to a gastrointestinal procedure. On January 17, Kensington Palace declared the operation successful. He provided no details about Catherine’s diagnosis or prognosis, other than that her condition was “not cancerous.”
The palace added: “The Princess of Wales appreciates the interest this statement will generate. She hopes the public will understand her desire to maintain as much normalcy as possible for her children; and his wish that his personal medical information remain private.
The palace released another statement at the end of the month, announcing to the public that Catherine had left the London clinic.
Where is Kate Middleton?
At home, according to a press release. The palace said the princess would recover at Adelaide Cottage in Windsor Home Park after leaving hospital.
Her office added that she was “unlikely to return to public office before Easter.”
How is Kate’s family doing?
Prince William visited his wife shortly after her operation and was photographed upon leaving the hospital. But according to People magazine, Catherine’s three children did not see their mother in the hospital. This follows recommendations from the London Clinic visitor guidelines, which states that “we do not allow any children or babies to visit us.” (Special requests must be approved by hospital staff.) Instead, the princess reportedly connected with her children via FaceTime.
The palace has called various conspiracy theories “utter nonsense.”
The lack of information about Catherine gave rise to wild speculation about her health. A Spanish journalist named Concha Calleja claimed she had spoken with a source within the royal family. The source reportedly told Ms Calleja that Catherine was facing serious complications after the operation, requiring “drastic” measures to save her life.
“The decision was to put her in an induced coma,” Ms Calleja told Spanish news program Fiesta. “They had to intubate him.”
In its initial statement, Kensington Palace said it would provide updates on the princess only when there was “significant new information to share.” But the palace moved to respond to Ms Calleja’s claims, calling them “total nonsense” and “ridiculous.”
