Catherine, Princess of Wales Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images
Kensington Palace offered an update on Princess Kate Middleton’s health following her recent abdominal surgery.
“The Princess of Wales has returned home to Windsor to continue her recovery from surgery,” the palace shared in a statement via X on Monday, January 29. “She is making good progress.”
Kate, 42, and husband Prince William “wish to say a huge thank you to the entire team at The London Clinic,” the statement continued, shouting out the “dedicated nursing staff for the care they have provided.”
The message concluded: “The Wales family continues to be grateful for the well wishes they have received from around the world.”
A statement from Kensington Palace pic.twitter.com/DW6BOHuuRJ
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) January 29, 2024
The palace announced on January 17 that Kate was admitted to The London Clinic for a “planned” procedure that would take her away from her royal duties for the time being.
While specific details about her surgery were undisclosed, Kate was “expected” to stay in the hospital for “ten to fourteen days.” The palace also announced that Kate was “unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter.”
The statement noted that Kate hoped “her personal medical information stays private” in an attempt to maintain “normalcy” for her family. (The same day, it was announced that King Charles III would undergo treatment for an enlarged prostate. He was admitted to the same hospital as Kate on Friday, January 26.)
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A source exclusively told Us Weekly that Kate had been “resting up and enjoying lots of visits from Prince William and the kids” in the days following her procedure. According to the insider, Kate “may disclose more information [about the procedure] in due course.”
Queen Camilla, King Charles III, Prince William, Prince of Wales and Catherine, Princess of Wales Chris Jackson/Getty Images For Buckingham Palace
During his wife’s brief step back from her royal duties, William, 41, has taken on the title of “modern dad” with the kids as she recovers. (William and Kate share Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5.)
“In years gone by, if a senior member of the [royal] family was ill, their spouse would not drop everything. They’d carry on, and the children would be left with the nanny or nannies. And this time, Prince William has made a very conscious decision he’s going to step back from his duties,” Robert Hardman, author of The Making of a King: King Charles III and the Modern Monarchy, told Us exclusively this month. “He’s putting the family first, and he’s doing that for a very specific reason.”
William previously “canceled two out of the country” royal engagements, a separate source told Us. Hardman noted that William is “normalizing” his kids’ lives following their mother’s operation.
“So if Mum’s in hospital, he knows he’s got to be there,” he added. “Otherwise, it’s unsettling for the children if both parents are out of the house.”
While Hardman acknowledged that there’s “a challenge for the monarchy” amid the dual hospital stays, he feels they have a solution in place. “I think the monarchy will do what it’s always done, which is to adapt,” he said. “I mean, it has to be agile. That has to change.”