Princess Kate, a key figure in the British royal family, is hospitalized in London after an abdominal operation, which was successful but which forced her to suspend her obligations until the end of March.
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The wife of the heir to the throne William “was admitted yesterday (Tuesday) to the London Clinic for scheduled abdominal surgery,” Kensington Palace announced in a statement on Wednesday.
“The operation was successful and she is expected to remain in the hospital for 10 to 14 days,” it said.
“Based on current medical advice, it is unlikely that she will return to public duties before Easter”, March 31, warns Kensington Palace.
Kate, who celebrated her 42nd birthday on January 9, is adored by the British. She is one of the most popular members of the royal family, behind William but far ahead of King Charles III and his wife Queen Camilla, according to polls.
In the press release, she apologizes for “postponing her next commitments”. “She hopes to be able to take back as many as possible, as quickly as possible,” it is written.
The Palace explains that it “will only provide updates” on the health of the Princess of Wales “when there is significant new information to be made public”.
The princess “hopes that the public will understand her desire to maintain as much normalcy as possible for her children and her wish that her personal medical information remain confidential,” according to the statement.
No indication was provided on the reasons for the hospitalization but, according to several British media, Kate, whose last public appearance dates back to Christmas, does not suffer from cancer.
According to the Times, her husband William has also renounced several of his public commitments to “stay by her side as much as possible”. The Prince of Wales could thus cancel a visit to Rome.
The couple, who have three children, George, Charlotte and Louis, reside in a private property in Windsor, west London.
Kate and William were married in 2011 at Westminster Abbey. Smiling, elegant and glamorous, she has established herself over the years as an essential figure in the British royal family.
The British press sees her as a model member of the monarchy, the polar opposite of her sister-in-law Meghan Markle, married to Harry, William’s younger brother.
Nothing predestined Kate, a commoner, to this royal life. His mother, a flight attendant, and his father, an air traffic controller, then made their fortune by starting a party supplies company.
Her meeting with William at the Scottish University of St Andrews, which she joined in 2001 to study art history, decided otherwise.