Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales, will be hospitalized for 10 to 14 days at the London Clinic following her abdominal surgery on Tuesday. Kensington Palace announced on Wednesday that the future Queen will be on a break to recover from her "scheduled abdominal surgery" and is expected to resume her royal duties after Easter.
After her discharge from the hospital, Kate will relocate to her home in Windsor for her recovery. People magazine reported that Prince William will temporarily halt his royal duties to tend to his wife and care for their three children, Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5. So, what happened to Kate?
Kate and Her Health Problems
The Palace has not revealed the nature of the surgical procedure, but it is understood to be non-cancerous, according to a Daily Mail report. Kate is often seen in public but has time and again suffered from several ailments. However, none have been life-threatening. Here's the detail of her medical history.
Morning Sickness
The Princess of Wales had to be hospitalized for three days owing to severe morning sickness in 2012 during her pregnancy with Prince George. She was admitted to King Edward VII's Hospital, a private facility in Marylebone that the Royal Family has used for over a century.
Kate faced a recurrence of hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) during her pregnancies with Princess Charlotte in 2014 and Prince Louis in 2018.
Due to the challenging nature of the condition, the Princess revealed her pregnancies with her later two children early, before reaching the crucial 12-week stage.
During her pregnancies with Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, Kate received care at Kensington Palace instead of being admitted to the hospital.
Hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) can result in severe dehydration, posing risks to both the mother and the baby as they struggle to retain essential nutrients due to difficulty in keeping food and drink down.
Those affected by hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) may endure intense vomiting, reaching up to 30 times a day, leading to exhausting and potentially hazardous consequences.
Surgery in Abdomen
Kate went under the knife for the first time after her three pregnancies. Although not serious, this is by far the biggest surgery she has undergone so far.
The surgery was already planned but was announced only a couple of days back. She will spend approximately two weeks in the hospital, according to royal aides.
The nature of the surgery is understood to be non-cancerous, although specific details were not provided. The Princess is likely to be advised to take two to three months for recovery.
The NHS recommends exercises such as deep breathing, circulation, core, chair, and standing exercises for recovery from abdominal surgery. Kate's return to official duties will depend on medical advice closer to the time.
Scar on Left Side of Head
Kata had her first surgery when she was a child. She has a three-inch scar on the left side of her head, a detail first noticed in 2011 during her initial solo royal engagement at a black-tie private dinner at Clarence House.
The scar was later confirmed to be the outcome of surgery performed when she was a child.
In an official statement, it was clarified that "the scar related to a childhood operation," with details of the operation considered private.
While royal sources acknowledged it was a "very serious operation," they refrained from providing additional comments.
Surgeons at the time suggested that the scar was unlikely to be from a tumor and might have resulted from the removal of a birthmark.
