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Princess Kate’s hospitalization worried fans around the globe. However, Kensington Palace reassured the public in a statement that her “planned abdominal surgery” was “successful” and not a cause for concern.
Why Did Kate Middleton Undergo Abdominal Surgery?
On January 17, 2024, Kensington Palace released an unprecedented statement, revealing that the Princess of Wales was hospitalized.
“Her Royal Highness was admitted to hospital for planned abdominal surgery,” the palace’s statement read. “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. Based on the current medical advice, she is unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter.”
The palace’s statement continued, “The Princess of Wales appreciates the interest this statement will generate. She hopes that the public will understand her desire to maintain as much normality for her children as possible, and her wish that her personal medical information remains private. Kensington Palace will, therefore, only provide updates on Her Royal Highness’ progress when there is significant new information to share. The Princess of Wales wishes to apologise to all those concerned for the fact that she has to postpone her upcoming engagements. She looks forward to reinstating as many as possible, as soon as possible.”
According to multiple outlets, Kate’s operation was not cancerous nor life-threatening. It is still unclear why she underwent the “planned” procedure.
How Is Kate Middleton’s Health Today?
Since the royal prefers to keep her personal information private, it appears that — in the public eye — she maintains a healthy lifestyle. Previously, however, Kate encountered a difficult part of her third pregnancy with morning sickness.
Kate’s Previous Battle With Severe Morning Sickness
During her third pregnancy with son Prince Louis, the Duchess of Cornwall and Cambridge suffered severe bouts of morning sickness, called Hyperemesis Gravidarum. The condition causes weight loss, dehydration and vomiting multiple days per day.
During a February 2020 interview on the “Happy Mum, Happy Baby podcast,” Kate got candid about the grueling condition she dealt with.
“I got very bad morning sickness, so I’m not the happiest of pregnant people,” she joked. “Lots of people have it far, far worse, but it was definitely a challenge. Not just for me, but also for your loved ones around you, and I think that’s the thing — being pregnant and having a newborn baby and things like that, impacts everybody in the family.”