What ails Kate, Princess of Wales? The whole planet is wondering. The wife of the heir to the British throne, Prince William, had a “planned abdominal surgery” and the operation was successful, Kensington Palace stated on Wednesday. But the recovery will be long: Catherine will spend 10 to 14 days at The London Clinic, a private hospital, and she will need months before returning to official duties.
A royal source consulted by CNN declared the condition was “not-cancerous”. The Princess, mother to George, Charlotte, and Louis, celebrated her 42th birthday on January 9 and is known as a fit, healthy woman. She was last seen in public on Christmas Day when the royal family made their annual visit to a church service near King Charles’ Sandringham home in eastern England. According to the royal source, “she is unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter”.
Trying to stifle the buzz, the official statement said “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.” Kate’s office said they would provide updates only when they have “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,” the palace said.
The royal source also said that William, Prince of Wales, will not undertake public duties as long as his wife is in hospital and in the first days following her return home. Nor will the couple have international engagements.
The London Clinic, near Regent’s Park in central London, describes itself as the United Kingdom’s largest independent private hospital.
