Kate, Britain’s Princess Of Wales Hospitalized For Abdominal Surgery
Catherine, Princess of Wales, underwent a “planned abdominal surgery” and will be recovering in the hospital for the next 10 to 14 days, Kensington Palace officials announced Wednesday.
The former Kate Middleton, 42, was admitted to the London Clinic on Jan. 16 for surgery and is “unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter,” palace officials said in a statement. The palace did not make it clear why she needed to have the surgery.
“The Princess of Wales appreciates the interest this statement will generate,” the palace said. “She hopes 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.”
The princess’s condition is non-cancerous, a Kensington Palace source confirmed to NBC News. She is expected to recover at home in Windsor after she is discharged from the hospital.
A statement from Kensington Palace pic.twitter.com/6h3BCrqj5L
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) January 17, 2024
The palace message added that Catherine “wishes to apologize” for having to postpone her upcoming engagements.
“She looks forward to reinstating as many as possible, as soon as possible,” the statement said.
Prince William will also be postponing appearances in the coming months and will not be conducting any official duties while Catherine is in the hospital or immediately after she returns home, the Kensington Palace source said.
The royal family celebrated the Princess of Wales earlier this month for her 42nd birthday on Jan. 9. A photo on Instagram showed her at the coronation ceremony last year for her father-in-law, King Charles III.
Her most recent appearance with Prince William and their three children came during their annual Christmas church outing at the Church of St. Mary Magdalene in Sandringham, near one of King Charles’ royal estates.
READ: King Charles And Queen Camilla Extend Birthday Wishes To The Princess of Wales â Check Out The Selected Photo!
Catherine previously experienced health complications during each of her three pregnancies.
She had to be treated in the hospital for hyperemesis gravidarum, a severe type of morning sickness, when she was pregnant with the couple’s oldest child, Prince George, 10.
She also experienced the condition during the early stages of her pregnancies with Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5.
Hyperemesis gravidarum involves severe vomiting, nausea, weight loss and electrolyte imbalances.