Kate Middleton (Princess Catherine of Wales), wife of the heir to the British throne, William, underwent a mysterious abdominal operation in mid-January, which led to a long convalescence and fueled rumors and speculation.
After the manipulation of the official photo of the 42-year-old princess on Sunday, March 10, gave rise to many speculations regarding her health, little data is available, two months following that surgical intervention.
abdominal operation
The main information available, according to the statement released on January 17, by Kensington Palace, which deals with all information relating to the princes of Wales, had the effect of a bomb.
Kensington announced that “The Princess of Wales was admitted to the London Clinic yesterday (January 16) for a scheduled abdominal operation.”
The royal family did not reveal the reason for this operation and Kensington expressed the princess’s “desire” for “privacy over her medical information.”
A statement from Kensington Palace pic.twitter.com/6h3BCrqj5L
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) January 17, 2024
“The operation was a success and he is expected to remain in the hospital between 10 and 14 days,” the text stated.
Faced with the questions raised by this news, Kensington transmitted the information to the journalists who deal with the royal house in the British media that it is not cancer.
Read more: Prince Harry obtains compensation from a tabloid for illicit collection of information.
A long convalescence
On January 29, Kensington Palace announced that Catherine left the hospital and “returned to her home in Windsor”, west of London, without specifying when the discreet return home took place.
The princess, who has not been seen in public since Christmas, “is fine,” this second statement said.
A statement from Kensington Palace pic.twitter.com/DW6BOHuuRJ
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) January 29, 2024
When she was admitted, Kensington specified that “due to medical advice, it is unlikely that (the princess) will resume her public duties before the end of Easter,” March 31, for a convalescence of at least two and a half months.
The first consequences were the cancellation for Guillermo and Catalina of an official visit to Italy and their absence from a series of events, including the BAFTAS ceremony, the British film awards, to which her husband did attend.
According to the British press, the princess left her home in Windsor to spend a few days during the February school holidays with her husband and three children, George, Charlotte and Louis, in Sandringham (eastern England), where the couple owns a residence.
A long absence
The mystery and rumors regarding the reasons for her operation and the long absence, in which the princess remains invisible, generated rumors and speculation. Even the tabloids, surrendered to Catalina’s charm, question this lack of transparency.
On February 8, in his first public engagement following the operation, Prince William did not give any information regarding his wife’s state of health, limiting himself to thanking the support received, for his wife’s intervention and following the cancer diagnosed in his wife. father, King Charles III.
Rumors grew on February 27 when William canceled his presence in extremis at a ceremony in memory of his godfather, King Constantine of Greece, at Windsor Castle, for “personal reasons.”
Kensington was almost forced to intervene and in a statement to the press stated that convalescence “is going well.”
On March 4, the first photo of the princess following her operation appeared in the American press.
In the snapshot, Catalina was seen wearing dark glasses in a car driven by her mother.
The image was not reproduced by the British press, respecting the commitment to privacy, although it was echoed.
The following day, the announcement on the British Ministry of Defense’s website that the princess would participate in a military parade in June caused confusion.
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Kensington Palace did not confirm Catherine’s presence and royal sources indicated that they were not consulted.
The mention of Catalina’s presence was removed on the night of March 5 from the Internet site.
On Sunday, March 10, coinciding with Mother’s Day in the United Kingdom, Kensington released an official photo of Catalina smiling, surrounded by her three children, the first since her operation.
Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months.
Wishing everyone a Happy Mother’s Day. C
📸 The Prince of Wales, 2024 pic.twitter.com/6DywGBpLLQ
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) March 10, 2024
A day later, Catalina admitted that the photo was retouched, which relaunched the speculation.
Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing. I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused. I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother’s Day. C
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) March 11, 2024
Prince William made no comments in his two public appearances on Monday, March 11.
Kensington Palace ruled out disseminating the original image without the manipulations carried out.
#health #Kate #Middleton #Princess #Wales
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