Kate’s third day in hospital: Carole and the Middletons rally around Princess of Wales as she recovers from surgery and William clears his diary to support her – leaving three senior working royals out of action

The Princess of Wales spent a second night in hospital after major abdominal surgery as William, her parents and siblings cleared their diaries to support her recovery and the care of George, Charlotte and Louis.

Kate is said to be doing ‘well’ as she recovers following the procedure at the London Clinic in Marylebone, which was revealed on the same day King Charles announced he was taking a short break for treatment of an enlarged prostate.

With Prince William also taking leave to care for his wife and children, the so-called ‘big three’ royals will be absent for the next few weeks, with experts saying Harry and Meghan in the US, and Andrew in the cold, there are only Princess Anne and her brother Prince Edward who they can call on.

Kate is not expected to return to public events until after Easter, and her husband will be by his wife and children’s side throughout.

Any royal trips that William and Kate had on their calendars in the coming months will also no longer take place, amid speculation that they would visit Italy together in March.

Kate’s parents Carole and Michael Middleton and siblings Pippa Matthews and James Middleton are already meeting and helping to support her recovery at her Windsor home.

The ‘big three’ of the royal family are out of action as Buckingham Palace also revealed yesterday that King Charles III will go to hospital next week to be treated with a ‘corrective procedure’ for an enlarged prostate.

A police officer stands outside the London Clinic today, where Britain’s Catherine, Princess of Wales, is in hospital for abdominal surgery

Kensington Palace announced that the Princess of Wales has undergone abdominal surgery

Charles will attend a church service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham on January 7

The statement on Charles’ health released by Buckingham Palace

The two health updates on senior royals came within 90 minutes of each other, with Kensington Palace first at 2pm and Buckingham Palace at 3.30pm.

According to reports, she was not rushed to the hospital and her condition was not something that developed over the weekend.

The prince will also postpone a number of appointments to support his family, and will not take on any official duties while his wife is in hospital.

He will also not perform any official duties in the immediate period following Kate’s return home. Royal aides will provide a revised schedule for William in due course.

It is unclear what the exact nature of the surgery is, and The Palace would not reveal details about Kate’s ‘medical privacy’. However, it did not rule out that she would choose to speak about it publicly in the future.

Sun GP Dr. Zoe Williams told it The sun‘This could be something that has bothered her all her life and hasn’t gotten around to solving it yet, or a problem that has recently come to light.

‘Two weeks in hospital is longer than we would normally expect, but she does not have a normal life. She is the future queen, so the doctors will be careful.

‘We all hope it is something minor and that the operation is simple, but precaution is wise. With anything medical, you’re never quite sure how things will go.

‘The most important thing is that she gets enough recovery time and that it is not too stressful for her and her family.’

Kate arrived for the Royal Christmas Carol Concert at Westminster Abbey on December 8 last year

Kate with her family at Westminster Abbey’s Christmas carol concert on December 8 last year

Dr. Deborah Lee, from Dr. Fox Online Pharmacy, told it The Express: ‘Most people stay in the hospital for four to seven days for abdominal surgery. After a laparoscopic operation (a type of keyhole surgery), this is reduced to two to four days.

‘It very much depends on what exactly has been done. If a patient has to go to the ITU, their hospital stay is likely to be significantly longer.

‘It may take two months or more for the patient to feel comfortable and then be able to move normally again.’

Neither William nor Kate will be traveling internationally in the coming months.

William and Kate were said to be planning a high-profile visit to Rome this spring as part of a European charm offensive, but that is now in doubt. Another planned foreign military engagement could be affected.

Kate will almost certainly be forced to miss some high-profile events she would otherwise have expected to attend.

She and William have been regulars at the Baftas, the biggest night in British cinema, held in central London this month, but this would be too soon for the recovering princess.

She will also likely miss out on a long-standing royal tradition in March: handing out shamrocks to the Irish Guards on St. Patrick’s Day in her role as honorary colonel of the regiment.

The annual Commonwealth Day Service, also held in March, will probably have to go ahead without her. It is also unlikely that the Princess, patroness of English rugby, will be well enough to attend the Guinness Six Nations, which starts next month.

Kate attended the Royal Variety Performance at the Royal Albert Hall in London last November

Police officers stand outside the London Clinic where Kate is staying after surgery

The princess celebrated her birthday just over a week ago, with the monarchy’s official social media accounts sharing a new behind-the-scenes photo of the princess at the king’s coronation.

Kate is generally in good health, but was hospitalized earlier in her pregnancy after suffering from hyperemesis gravidarum, a severe morning sickness.

A palace spokesperson said: ‘Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales was admitted to the London Clinic for a planned abdominal operation.

‘The operation was successful and it is expected that she will remain in hospital for ten to fourteen days before returning home to continue her recovery. Based on current medical advice, it is unlikely that she will resume her public duties until after Easter.

“The Princess of Wales appreciates the interest this statement will generate. She hopes the public will understand her desire to maintain as much normalcy as possible for her children; and her desire for her personal medical information to remain private.

‘Kensington Palace will therefore only provide updates on Her Royal Highness’s progress if there is important new information to share.

“The Princess of Wales would like to apologize to everyone involved for having to postpone her upcoming engagements.

“She looks forward to hiring as many people as possible again as quickly as possible.”

Royal expert Phil Dampier said: ‘I wish the Princess of Wales a speedy recovery after abdominal surgery. “We don’t know the details but it was clear this was serious as she will be in hospital for 14 days and need up to three months to recover.”

And the Queen’s former press secretary Dickie Arbiter said on X: ‘I’m sure I speak for everyone in wishing HRH a speedy recovery.’

Like the rest of the royal family, Kate has had a busy, turbulent past few years, with the late Queen’s platinum jubilee and death in 2022, and the coronation in 2023. She is also adjusting to her new role as princess of the royal family. Wales.

Kate was admitted to the London Clinic (pictured) for a planned abdominal operation

The Waleses also confronted the ongoing rift between William and his brother, the Duke of Sussex, with Harry making controversial claims about Charles, Camilla, William and Kate in his Netflix documentary and memoir Spare.

William’s former university flatmate has carefully pursued her charity work since her marriage to the prince in 2011 and her appointment as HRH, with a focus on mental health and early childhood.

Kate is seen as the monarchy’s safe pair of hands and with a ‘keep calm and carry on’ approach. Kate has been praised as someone who can channel the same traits of charm, politeness and toughness as the late Queen Mother, who was once described as ‘a marshmallow’. made on a welding machine’.

Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, private secretary to the Cambridges and the Duke of Sussex, and formerly worked for the Queen Mother, told The Times: ‘She takes the time to talk to people. She’s tough.

“She has the feeling of the Queen Mother in her, so that when things need to be done, she is there.”

The London Clinic, located on the corner of Devonshire Place and Marylebone Road in central London, is Britain’s largest independent private hospital.

The clinic first opened in 1932 and previous patients have included Prince Philip, Princess Margaret, actress Elizabeth Taylor and US President John F Kennedy.