The Princess of Wales is reportedly in “good shape” as she recovers from abdominal surgery.
Kate was admitted to hospital in January for planned surgery and was discharged two weeks later.
While Kensington Palace said on Tuesday that her condition was improving, her husband, the Prince of Wales, withdrew from attending the memorial service for the late King Constantine of Greece at Windsor Castle due to a personal matter.
William, who was to give a reading, called the Greek royal family attending the service at St George’s Chapel to inform them that he would not be able to attend.
Watch: William misses godfather’s memorial due to personal matters
King of Greece II, who died in January last year. Constantine was William’s godfather.
Kate will be away from official royal engagements until after Easter following major surgery in January.
The King will also miss 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 do we know
A. Statement released by Kensington Palace on January 17 It turned out that Kate was admitted to a private London Clinic the day before. She remained in hospital for 12 days before returning to her home at Adelaide Cottage in Windsor.
The statement said that based on medical advice at the time, the princess was not expected to return to public duties until after Easter.
It has been confirmed that William will take some time off and step back from all official duties for several weeks while he looks after his three children (Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis) and helps care for his wife.
Kate is now expected to miss some upcoming meetings, as the statement said it was “unlikely” she would return to public duties until “after Easter”. The fact that the Easter weekend falls at the end of March means he will be out of action until at least April.
He could not participate in the Baftas and Six Nations tournaments, which he normally attends. He is also expected to miss St. David’s Day celebrations on March 1, Commonwealth Day celebrations on March 11 and Easter Sunday Mass.
This also means no international travel for him in the near future; Trips to Latvia and Rome planned for spring are in danger.
We also know that any further details regarding Kate’s medical information will remain private for the foreseeable future. Kensington Palace said its progress would only be shared “when there is significant new information”.
Kate and King Charles’ absence from public life means the King’s “weakened” monarchy has been somewhat exposed. But according to Buckingham Palace, state advisors – senior royals authorized to carry out official duties on behalf of the monarch – will not be needed while the King undergoes surgery.
But the double health scare is an indication of how fragile Charles’s approach to the monarchy was; especially since two royals, Prince Harry and the Duke of York, were not performing official duties.
what we don’t know
The palace’s initial statement gave no indication of the severity of the surgery and the impact it was having on Kate, beyond describing the surgery as “successful”. The latest statement did not provide further details about the type of surgery he had.
The statement said Kate would “probably” not return to public duties until after Easter, although the exact timing of this is still unknown. April is the earliest date, but it’s possible Kate will cancel more appointments after that date. The Times reports that his diary has been scrubbed for “months.”
Reports in The Daily Mail indicate that Kate has been advised to recover for two to three months. They add that the return to official duties will depend entirely on the medical advice he receives in the near future.
Although Kensington Palace says the surgery is “planned”, we don’t know how long it has been planned – but this likely means the surgery is not an emergency procedure. The article also suggests what surgery might entail, including removing gallstones, appendectomy, or repairing a hernia. The Palace reportedly told reporters his condition was not cancerous, according to the well-connected Royal Central website.
Despite these suggestions, we don’t have details about what the surgery was for, and we may never have it, due to the statement stating that Kate’s medical notes are private.