On Christmas Day, Catherine, Princess of Wales, attended the service at St. Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham, Norfolk, England, dressed in royal blue from head to toe.
She walked to church with her husband, Prince William;
and her three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, as she had done in previous years.
Waving to the gathered crowd and the cameras,
“She looked beautiful for the occasion,”
Town & Country said.
The princess has not been seen in public since.
Three weeks later, on January 17, Kensington Palace announced that Catherine, 42, formerly known as Kate Middleton, had been admitted to the London Clinic to undergo “
planned abdominal surgery
.”
British Prince William, Prince of Wales, and Catherine, Princess of Wales attend a ceremony welcoming the President and First Lady of the Republic of Korea at Horse Guards Parade in London, Britain, November 21, 2023 Chris Jackson/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo
The surprise news about Kate's health was magnified by the fact that, just an hour later, the palace announced that King Charles III, 75, would receive treatment for an enlarged prostate next week.
Two of the most important members of the British royal family were now facing health problems.
As the news began to return to normal (on Wednesday, Charles was photographed being driven from his home, Clarence House, and resumed some official business, including a meeting with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak), rumors began to emerge again about the Princess of Wales.
Although William, 41, also
reduced his royal duties
during his wife's recovery, this week he pulled out of a
planned appearance
at a memorial service at St George's Chapel in Windsor for his godfather, King Constantine of the Hellenes. who died in January 2023.
That led a palace source to address the latest twist in the saga, and perhaps try to stop the rumors, in language that did just the opposite.
The princess, the source told People,
"is still doing well
. "
William's absence from the memorial and the reason given by the palace (an undisclosed personal matter) only fueled continued speculation about Kate's health.
Little is known about his medical procedure, leading to many speculations, concerns, and conspiracy theories.
What type of surgery did Kate have?
That remains a mystery to the public.
Abdominal surgery can be anything from an appendectomy to laparoscopy.
On January 17, Kensington Palace said the surgery was a success.
He offered no details about Kate's diagnosis or prognosis, other than that her condition
was "non-cancerous
."
The palace added:
“The Princess of Wales appreciates the interest this statement will generate.
She hopes the public understands her desire to maintain as much normality as possible for her children;
and her desire that her personal medical information remain private.”
The palace issued another statement at the end of the month, informing the public that Kate had been discharged from the London Clinic.
Where is kate?
At home, according to a statement.
The palace said the princess would recover at
Adelaide Cottage
in Windsor Home Park after leaving hospital.
His office added that he was “unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter.”
How is Kate's family doing?
William visited his wife shortly after her surgery and was photographed leaving the hospital.
But according to People magazine, Kate's three children did not see their mother at the hospital.
This follows the London Clinic's visitor guidelines, which state that "we do not allow children or babies to visit."
(Special requests must be approved by hospital staff.)
Instead, the princess is said to have connected with her children via
FaceTime
.
The palace has called several conspiracy theories “total nonsense.”
The lack of information about Kate has led to widespread
speculation
about her health.
A Spanish journalist named Concha Calleja claimed that she spoke to a source within the royal family.
The source allegedly told Calleja that Kate faced
serious complications
after the surgery, requiring “drastic” actions to save her life.
“The decision was to put her in an induced coma,” Calleja told the Spanish news program “Fiesta.”
“They had to intubate her.”
In its initial statement, Kensington Palace said it would provide updates on the princess only when there was “new and important information to share.”
But the palace moved to address Calleja's claims, calling them “absurd nonsense” and “ridiculous.”
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