A sudden announcement. When it was announced she was being admitted to hospital, many Royal fans might be wondering what kind of abdominal surgery did Kate Middleton have and how long it will take for the Princess of Wales to recover. She revealed on March 22 that following the procedure she was diagnosed with cancer and will undergo preventative chemotherapy.
The news comes a week after her 42nd birthday. The last public outing by the Royal was at the annual walk to church on Christmas Day 2023. She walked with Prince William and their three children — Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5.
For her birthday, it was reported that the Prince and Princess of Wales celebrated a more personal and “low-key” celebration which is just “the way she likes it,” A source told The Daily Express that “the children are just about to start back at school,” so it’s likely that Kate and her family will have a quiet celebration at home in Windsor.
Royal expert Jennie Bond told the outlet that Prince William is planning to “spoil” his wife after what has “been a really tough time for her,” seemingly referring to the string of controversies surrounding the royal family following the release of Prince Harry’s memoir, Spare , in 2023. “He’s probably got a little bit of romance in him somewhere,” Bond shared, speculating that William might arrange for breakfast in bed for his wife. So what kind of abdominal surgery did Kate Middleton have?
What kind of abdominal surgery did Kate Middleton have?
What kind of abdominal surgery did Kate Middleton have? There could be several reasons for the Princess of Wales’ surgery and while we don’t know specifics, the Palace did say it was non-cancerous. According to Mount Sinai, abdominal surgery can include a procedure on the following organs:
- Appendix
- Bladder
- Gallbladder
- Intestines
- Kidney and ureters
- Liver
- Pancreas
- Spleen
- Stomach
- Uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries
Kensington Palace announced that Kate Middleton had a “planned abdominal surgery” at The London Clinic on January 16, 2024. “The surgery was successful, and it is expected that she will remain in hospital for ten to fourteen days, before returning home to continue her recovery,” the statement said. “Based on the current medical advice, she is unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter.”
“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,” the statement continued. “Kensington Palace will, therefore, only provide updates on Her Royal Highness’ progress when there is 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,” they added.
Many Royal fans took to the comments on Instagram to express their concern and wish a speedy recovery to the Princess of Wales. One top comment read, “That’s very concerning. That’s a looong hospital stay and longer recovery. As a surgical nurse, I know this must’ve been a very serious medical procedure. Hoping for a full recovery for this young mom. ❤️” Another read, “Gosh…this writing format gave me a heart attack for a second. Wishing the Princess a quick recovery.”
On her long recovery time, a source close to the royal family told People: “It is sensible to take the time. That is a great example to the rest of us, as you’re often told to get back to work as soon as possible, which can be damaging,” they said. A former patient at the London Clinic sung the hospital’s praises. “The physical therapists are amazing, helping you recover and get back on your feet. After abdominal surgery, you need a lot of patience, and it’s a bit scary at first.”
On January 18, Prince William visited his wife as she recovered, palace officials told Today.com. On January 24, 2024, Page Six revealed that her procedure “came as a surprise” to family friends as well as people who “work closely” with the royals, according to sources. Rest assured, Kate is “doing well” according to insiders quoted by People.
On January 29, 2024, Kensington Palace released a statement saying Kate was “making good progress” and was continuing her recovery at home after a 13-day hospital stay. “The Wales family continues to be grateful for the well wishes they have received from around the world,” the statement read, in addition to being thankful for the “diligent nursing staff” at the London Clinic.
On February 18, 2024, Prince William attended the BAFTAs without Kate as she continued to recover. Kensington Palace confirmed Prince William’s attendance at the event. “The Prince, President of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) will watch the Awards ceremony before meeting category winners and EE Rising Star Award nominees,” the statement said.
The annual awards ceremony, which recognizes accomplishments in film, television, and video games (yes indeed, though those awards are held on a different day than Hollywood) is regularly attended by both William and Kate with the pair making their debut at last year’s ceremony as the Prince and Princess of Wales.
On February 24, 2024, Catherine’s mother Carole is said to be concerned about her daughter’s wellbeing. Former royal correspondent, Jennie Bond, said Carole would have been “very worried” about her daughter and “clucking around like a mother hen,” according to GBN.
Three days later, Prince William pulled out of a memorial service for his godfather, Greece’s King Constantine III, due to “personal reasons”. Kensington Palace did not elaborate, but it’s understood the Prince’s absence had nothing to do with Middleton. A source told The Mirror: “The Princess of Wales continues to be doing well.”
On March 4, 2024, Kate Middleton was spotted for the first time since December, before her abdominal surgery. In photos obtained by TMZ, she was being driven by her mother, Carole, near Windsor Castle.
On March 10, 2024, The Princess of Wales posted a picture with her children for Mother’s Day, which raised eyebrows for some Royal family fans online.
The photo marks Kate Middleton’s first photo since her abdominal surgery in January 2024. It features Kate in the middle while hugging and embracing her three kids, Prince George, Prince Louis, and Princess Charlotte. “Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months,” Kate Middleton wrote in the caption. “Wishing everyone a Happy Mother’s Day. C”
Many eagle-eyed fans saw the edits on the photo such as Prince Louis’ fingers and around Princess Charlotte’s dress. Kate Middleton issued an apology on social media for the mistakes. “Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing. I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused. I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother’s Day. C,” she wrote on X.
A day after the apology, Kate Middleton was seen in a car with Prince William driving from Windsor Castle in an image published by the Daily Mail.
Was Kate Middleton in a coma?
A rumor that has been doing the rounds on social media was that Kate Middleton’s surgery may have had serious, unforeseen implications, leading to the phrase “Kate Middleton coma” to begin trending. The rumor comes out of Telecinco, specifically the program Fiesta; a Spanish free-to-air broadcast.
Journalist Concha Calleja claimed that the Princess of Wales had undergone a hysterectomy—removal of the uterus—and that “they had to intubate her” in an induced coma when she “suffered serious complications during the post-operative period.” Calleja continued: “They were serious complications that were not expected,” she said. “What I cannot confirm is if this continues like this, if they have waited for that fifteen-day process. Her life has been in great danger. In fact, the concern in the Royal Family was palpable, it was to save lives.”
In a rare occurrence, the Palace responded to the rumor, not in an official statement but via a source. “It’s total nonsense,” a palace insider told The Times. “No attempt was made by that journalist to fact-check anything that she said with anyone in the household. It’s fundamentally, totally made-up, and I’ll use polite English here: it’s absolutely not the case.”
Spare
by Prince Harry
Prince Harry’s memoir, Spare, is out now. Told for the first time in his own words, the book takes readers through the Duke of Sussex’s life with the British royal family, from the death of his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, in 1997 to how the moment led to his decision decades later to move to America with his wife, Meghan Markle, and leave Buckingham Palace for good in 2020. “With its raw, unflinching honesty, Spare is a landmark publication full of insight, revelation, self-examination, and hard-won wisdom about the eternal power of love over grief,” the publisher’s description reads.
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