What Palace Insiders Have Said About Kate Middleton's Mysterious Recovery
Kate Middleton's recovery can't escape the headlines as speculation has continued to grow about her whereabouts. Now, palace insiders are spilling the details behind her recovery process.
In January 2024, Kensington Palace announced Catherine, the Princess of Wales had undergone a "planned abdominal surgery." They shared, "Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales was admitted to hospital yesterday for planned abdominal surgery. 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 revealed Kate would not return to public-facing duties until Easter but many expected an appearance from the Princess of Wales before the given timeline. However Kate has remained MIA. The royal was last officially spotted out in public on Christmas Day.
Kate's sudden disappearance has many speculating some crazy theories on why her recovery could be taking longer than many expected — from a secretive serious health issue to something as wild as a BBL. The speculation got so terrible that Kensington Palace had to release a follow-up statement reiterating Kate's recovery timeline. They said, "Kensington Palace made it clear in January the timelines of the Princess' recovery and we'd only be providing significant updates. That guidance stands." They didn't share any additional info about Kate's recovery, which has only made speculation grow. Now, palace insiders are revealing details about Kate's recovery that the public may not be aware of.
Prince William's ever-changing care for Kate Middleton
Prince William's care for Kate Middleton has had its ups and downs. At the beginning of her recovery from abdominal surgery, a source revealed that the Prince of Wales was at Kate's beck and call. They told Life & Style (via Yahoo!), "Kate's seen a side of her husband she'd never seen before. She's impressed with his take-charge attitude during this ordeal and has rated his caretaker skills as a 10 out of 10." William reportedly tried to help out so much that Kate told him to shoo — but the future monarch may have taken that too seriously (and it's not by choice, either).
It's been unfortunate timing for the royals; not only has Kate been out of the public eye, but so has King Charles III. Around the same time Kate's surgery was announced, Charles was diagnosed with cancer. He, too, has stepped out of the limelight, as he has taken on "regular treatments" for his diagnosis. With Charles and Kate out of the public eye, much of the work has fallen on Prince William, and it's taken a toll on his care for his wife.
A palace insider told InTouch that Kate felt "abandoned" by her husband. They said, "William has taken on more royal duties now that Charles is battling cancer, and that's pulled him away from Kate. He's preparing to take over the throne. He's also checking on his father more, and William had to deal with Harry's recent visit."
Don't expect constant updates about Kate Middleton
Kate Middleton's whereabouts have been tightly under wraps, and Kensington Palace made it clear that they would not provide useless updates on the Princess of Wales. They said, "Kensington Palace made it clear in January the timelines of the Princess' recovery and we'd only be providing significant updates. That guidance stands." So, don't expect all the wild internet speculation and constant conversation around Kate's sudden disappearance to change their mind about sharing the royal's recovery process.
A royal insider even told the Daily Beast, "Anyone who expects the palace to suddenly start giving lengthy updates on Kate will be disappointed. The principal aim of her being sequestered is to guard her privacy. I'm sure the press hate it because it is working." They continued, "There is a really, really small bubble of people who know exactly what is going on."
A separate friend told the outlet that, if anything, the chaos surrounding Kate's whereabouts would only make the royals, Prince William specifically, more reserved. They said, "William isn't a big one for doing stuff because the Daily Mail says he should. If William has read any of this stuff, it will only make him more determined to stick to his guns and keep his wife out of the limelight while she recovers." So, it looks like the public will have to follow Kensington Palace's timeline and wait until Easter to see a proper potential Kate appearance.