Prince William Is Taking More Time Off After Kate’s Abdominal Surgery
- Kate Middleton underwent “planned abdominal surgery” on January 16.
- The Princess of Wales is resting at Anmer Hall with her family after a 13-day hospital stay.
- Here’s everything you need to know about abdominal surgery and recovery.
Nearly a month afterKate Middleton’s abdominal surgery, Prince William is taking a week off from royal engagements to care for his wife.
After briefly returning to public duties on Feb. 7, the future king is stepping back again starting Feb. 13 to look after the couple’s children—Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis—while they’re on break from school. The family gathered at Anmer Hall in Norfolk, after Kate was cleared to travel there late last week.
The royal is “coping remarkably well, considering his wife had surgery and he only found out his father’s news recently,” according to a friend of William’s who spoke with PEOPLE.
On February 9, Kate left Windsor Castle for the first time since her planned abdominal surgery in January, The Daily Mail reported. The Princess of Wales, 42, was previously recovering from her surgery at Adelaide Cottage in Windsor after being released from the hospital on January 29.
“Catherine is recovering well,” a source told The Daily Mail. “She was looking forward to a change of scene and will be able to take it easy in Norfolk while the children let off steam with William.”
The couple’s relocation to Anmer Hall also brings them closer to King Charles, who is staying at Sandringham amid his cancer diagnosis and treatment.
Common reasons for abdominal surgeries include:
- Removal of the appendix (aka an appendectomy)
- Gall bladder removal surgery
- Hernia repair
- Removal of malignant tumors and lesion (and non-cancerous growths like lipomas)
How is abdominal surgery done?
The way the surgery is completed depends on the procedure someone is having done. Some medical conditions require more intensive surgeries, while others can be done via laparoscopic surgery, which is a surgical technique where short, narrow tubes are inserted into the abdomen through small incisions, per Medline Plus.
Where did Kate undergo abdominal surgery?
Kate received abdominal surgery at The London Clinic, the largest independent, private hospital in the U.K., according to PEOPLE. It was opened by Queen Elizabeth II’s parents—King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother—in 1932. The hospital is currently equipped to treat 155 different conditions and has over 1,000 nursing, clinical, and support staff.
Kate isn’t the first member of the royal family to receive care at the hospital. Like the Princess of Wales, the late Prince Philip also had abdominal surgery there in 2013, per PEOPLE. The late Princess Margaret (Queen Elizabeth’s sister) had skin lesions removed there in 1980, and in 1960, the Duke of Windsor (Queen Elizabeth’s uncle) underwent an eye operation, the publication reported.
What does abdominal surgery recovery look like?
Recovery time can vary for abdominal surgery, depending on the type of surgery someone has and why it was done. With laparoscopic surgery, you can usually go back to work after three days,Cleveland Clinicsays. But recovery from more invasive surgeries may take longer.
The day after Kate’s surgery, Prince William visited her at the hospital to check in on her initial recovery. However, the couple’s three children—Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis—weren’t able to visit their mother, a source told Cosmopolitan. “They’ve been in school and haven’t seen their mother yet,” the source told the outlet.
And although Kate wasn’t able to see her kids while she recovered in the hospital, she was visited by her father-in-law, King Charles, according to PEOPLE. The monarch visited the Princess of Wales on Friday, January 25, ahead of his own surgery to treat an enlarged prostate. Charles was photographed arriving at the London Clinic with his wife, Queen Camilla, the same hospital where Kate underwent abdominal surgery, per the publication. Buckingham Palace confirmed that King Charles had been admitted to a London hospital for “scheduled treatment” in a statement on January 26.
William also postponed some of his own public engagements, PEOPLE reported, but has since resumed his royal duties while Kate continues her at-home recovery. (The couples’ two international trips have also been put on hold.)
The Prince and Princess of Wales Instagram account posted a series of pictures of William hosting an investiture ceremony and “honouring amazing people doing incredible things in our communities up and down the country,” the caption read.
How common is abdominal surgery?
Abdominal surgery isn’t rare, but this can vary depending on the type of surgery. An appendectomy, for example, is one of the most commonly performed surgeries in the United States and globally. Hernia repairs are also very common.
How risky is it?
The health risk involved in abdominal surgeries depend on the type of surgery being performed. However, all surgeries come with risks.
