by The Princess of Wales is doing well as she recovers from stomach surgery, it has emerged.
Kate was admitted to hospital in January for the planned surgery and was discharged two weeks later.
Kensington Palace said on Tuesday that she is doing well.
He gave the update by announcing that her husband, the Prince of Wales, has pulled out of attending a memorial service for the late King Constantine of Greece at Windsor Castle due to personal matters.
William, who was due to give a reading, called the Greek royal family who are attending the service at St George’s Chapel to let them know he was unable to attend.
Watch: William does not miss his father’s memorial service due to personal matters
Constantine II of Greece, who died in January last year, was the father of the name William.
Kate is away from official royal engagements until after Easter following major surgery in January.
The King is also missing the service as he continues treatment for an undisclosed type of cancer.
Here’s a breakdown of what we know – and don’t know – about the Princess of Wales’ surgery:
What we know
An initial statement released by Kensington Palace revealed that Kate was admitted to the private Clinic in London on January 17. The palace has since said the planned procedure was a success. She remained in hospital for 12 days before returning to her home in Adelaide Cottage in Windsor.
A statement added that the princess is not expected to return to public duties until after Easter based on current medical advice.
William took time off and stood back from all official duties for several weeks as he looked after their three children – Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis – and helped care for his wife.
Kate is now expected to miss a number of upcoming engagements as the statement said she is unlikely to return to public duties “until after Easter”. With the Easter weekend falling at the end of March, that means she’s out of action until at least April.
She was already absent from the Baftas and the Six Nations, which she usually attends. It is hoped that she could celebrate Dáithí’s Feast Day on March 1, the Commonwealth Day service on March 11 and the Easter Sunday Service as well.
That also means no international travel for her for the foreseeable future – trips to Latvia and Rome, due in the spring, are in jeopardy.
We also know that additional details about Kate’s medical information will remain private for the foreseeable future. Kensington Palace said its progress would only be shared “when significant new information becomes available”.
The absence of Kate and King Charles from public life means that the King’s “slimed down” monarchy is somewhat exposed. However, the advisers of state – senior members of the Royal family who are authorized to carry out official duties on behalf of the sovereign – will not be needed while the King undergoes surgery, according to Buckingham Palace.
However, the double health scare is an indication of how fragile Charles’ approach to the monarchy is – particularly as two members of the Royal Family, Prince Harry and the Duke of York, do not carry out official duties.
What we do not know
Apart from describing the operation as “successful”, the palace’s initial statement did not reveal how serious the surgery was and its impact on Kate. There were no details in the latest statement about the type of surgery she underwent.
Although the statement said Kate would “probably” not return to public duty until after Easter, the exact timing of that is not yet known. The earliest date is April, but Kate may cancel more engagements after that. The Times reports that her diary has been purged for “many months”.
Reports in the Daily Mail suggest that Kate is likely to be advised to recover for two to three months. They say any return to her official duties would depend entirely on the medical advice she receives closer to the time.
And while Kensington Palace said the surgery was “planned”, we don’t know how long it was planned for – although it does mean the surgery was probably not an emergency procedure. The paper also suggests what the surgery might involve – including gallstones, appendectomy or hernia repair. According to the well-linked Royal Central website, the Palace told journalists that his condition was not cancer.
Despite these suggestions, we do not have – and may never have – the details of what the operation was for, and the statement said that Kate’s medical notes are private.
