People: Princess Kate’s hospitalization ‘came as a surprise’ to royal aides

It’s interesting to watch Kensington Palace try to deal with a PR issue they created. In this case, the issue is their lack of transparency around the Princess of Wales’s hospitalization, surgery and recovery time. While I can understand why KP doesn’t want to provide every single detail of whatever Kate is going through, and Kate has the right to medical privacy, William and Kate do have a long history of being way too squirrelly about too many topics. Back in the pre-Meghan days, that was a consistent complaint about William and Kate – they were always talking about their “privacy” and they didn’t believe they had to show the British public any part of their lives. Let’s not forget that William hid his serious case of Covid for months after the fact too.

I’ll be fair – even if KP came out and made further disclosures about Kate’s hospitalization, I think there would still be a massive amount of speculation and conspiracies. But KP’s answer to the current speculation is to… get People Magazine to publish some truly odd stories. Yesterday, People Mag published quotes from an unnamed patient who went through a similar “abdominal surgery” and wouldn’t you know, the patient explained that their family couldn’t visit, etc. Now People has Kate on this week’s cover:

Kate Middleton shocked the world — and most of those around her — when the palace announced on Jan. 17 that she had been hospitalized. The Princess of Wales, 42, was admitted to the London Clinic a day prior for “planned abdominal surgery.” Yet just three weeks earlier there was no hint of any impending issue as Kate stepped out on Christmas morning alongside Prince William and their children Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5. Kate beamed as she greeted well-wishers, exchanging laughs and cheerful banter with the public following a church service.

Within their broader circle of family friends, there had been no indication that anything was wrong, and the carefully guarded news about Kate’s situation came as a surprise even to those who work closely with the royal family, PEOPLE understands.

Spending the holiday season at their country home, Anmer Hall, the couple and their children enjoyed family time with their royal relatives while catching up with friends for outings in the Norfolk countryside, PEOPLE reports in this week’s issue.

Around the New Year they spent time with Kate’s family, and as they resumed daily life at Windsor’s Adelaide Cottage, they celebrated Kate’s 42nd birthday on Jan. 9 privately. The following day George, Charlotte and Louis returned to their school, Lambrook.

However, as William resumed public duties on Jan. 11, it became evident that some expected public engagements for Princess Kate were unconfirmed—and behind the scenes, there were schedule changes and growing concern. According to the palace, Kate could remain hospitalized for “10 to 14 days” before returning home to continue her recovery, and it would be unlikely for her to “return to public duties until after Easter.”

“It is sensible to take the time,” says a source close to the royal household. “That is a great example to the rest of us, as you’re often told to get back to work as soon as possible, which can be damaging.”

Adds a former patient at the London Clinic: “The physical therapists are amazing, helping you recover and get back on your feet. After abdominal surgery, you need a lot of patience, and it’s a bit scary at first.”

Once back home at Adelaide Cottage in Windsor, Kate will receive ample support from her close-knit family, including parents Carole and Michael and siblings Pippa and James, who are a short car ride away. “Her parents are an enduring factor in the upbringing of their grandchildren,” a palace insider tells PEOPLE. “And they will be a reassuring presence when she goes back to Windsor to recuperate.”

Adds the source close to the royal household, “She is in great hands and will have lots of care and support at home.”

[From People]

“Kate’s situation came as a surprise even to those who work closely with the royal family.” Hm. I’ve wondered this whole time if Buckingham Palace even knows what’s happening with Kate, and I think it’s notable that BP hasn’t stepped in to clean up Kensington Palace’s PR mess. You can tell that the royal reporters are getting some kind of holding pattern from the comms teams too – the rota is either being stonewalled or they know exactly what’s happening and they’re simply waiting for someone else to break the story before they can actually talk about it.

Also: People Mag sort of clarified the timeline – Kate and William were in Anmer Hall in Norfolk until NYE, then they returned to Adelaide Cottage, Kate had a quiet birthday and then… something happened? This continues to be very odd, and I’m genuinely worried about Kate’s health. I hope she makes it through OK and, as these sources indicate, it’s just a matter of recovery time and taking it easy.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images, cover courtesy of People.

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216 Responses to “People: Princess Kate’s hospitalization ‘came as a surprise’ to royal aides”

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  1. Tessa says:

    No word as to exactly what the health crisis is.

    • ML says:

      And, um, how old is this unnamed person who had abdominal surgery? Why did they need the surgery? Why did the recovery process take so long for this person?? There are tons of different reasons for abdominal surgery that have nothing to do with why someone else needs it. Quoting this anonymous person is ridiculous.

      • Jais says:

        Quoting an anonymous person that KP found from the hospital who also just happened to have abdominal surgery is bizarre. And desperate. Feels fake and made-up.

      • Harper says:

        Christian Jones doing his best abdominal surgery patient impersonation on the phone to People? The article’s details are as vague as the KP press release.

        Also, why no source close to the Middletons chiming in to reassure us about Kate’s condition? I’m thinking the situation is too upsetting for CarolE to spew out her typical sugary details about the perfect princess.

      • Blackapinay says:

        First off, as we all know surgery, planned or not, is serious. But the initial press release came out all laissez-faire: “Nothing to see here, folks! Just routine surgery (that oddly takes months of convalescing)”
        Now it’s a “crisis”. Pick a struggle, KP. Honestly, they could’ve said nothing and no one would’ve been the wiser. Now, they’re looking like the amateurs we always knew they were.

      • Megan says:

        If the staff didn’t know, it wasn’t a planned surgery. She’s clearly experienced an emergency and whatever it is, it’s quite serious.

      • AnnaKis says:

        It’s a massive cover-up. Just because those in the palace say they did not know about her health crisis does not make it so. As we have seen, they lie all the time._ One person. For the right price., will-spill the beans “ let’s get uncle Garry on the phone. Pronto..

      • IWesley says:

        Everyone is “surprised” Kate is in hospital, yet we’re told it’s planned surgery. I wonder, if in a fit of temper, William did something to her – pushed her, or otherwise put his hands on her which resulted in hospitalisation. There’s something not right going on.

      • Dee says:

        I haven’t seen a statement or visit from the Middletons which really makes me thing something nefarious is up. Would William pay off their debts to get them not to speak in favour of Kate?

    • Cessily says:

      No one knows a thing beyond abdominal surgery, she could be on full life support for all we know🤷🏻‍♀️. They really should have been more transparent about the entire situation. Why not a brief medical update from the doctor in charge?

      • BeanieBean says:

        We know nothing beyond ‘abdominal surgery’ and from what I read in last week’s comments here, there’s all kinds of abdominal surgery, with varying lengths of hospital stay & recovery time. How exactly does People magazine think whatever experience this unnamed person had at the same hospital is even remotely like Kate’s?

      • Jojojerinee says:

        Basically no parents no kids just husband visiting once in 7 days. So she isn’t exactly dying. Nor did they think she would die no one went with her. So it isn’t THAT serious. The recovery time just sounds like them taking the piss again and trying to get or if work till they are retirement age.
        The recovery time is the only thing that doesn’t make sense. Some people say abdominal problems about not being willing to let go of the past. Hmmmm.

    • Lau says:

      It’s all so vague it’s stupid. Also it’s starting to sound like she had a condition she’s ashamed of because if it were something “common” they would be saying it like Charles and Fergie. Kind of rich of them to speak about privacy while still berating and making fun of the Sussexes when they ask for privacy too.

      • A Guest says:

        Good point about both Charles and Sarah. Both announcements were accompanied by statements regarding early screenings and preventive care.

        KP should have known that being so vague was going to cause issues.

        Any competant PR person knows how to craft a more definitive statement without giving away any of Kate’s private medical information

    • JM says:

      For all we know, her planned surgery is just getting her tubes tied

  2. equality says:

    So she had something serious enough to need surgery and an extended recovery time, but nobody had any clues? Are these people very unobservant or does working “closely” with Kate mostly mean phone calls from the office to let her know what’s going on and not in-person contact.?

    • ML says:

      Or People’s KP sources aren’t close enough to know what’s going on.
      No mention here of that motorcade on December 28 to either deny that Kate was in it or not.

    • Nika says:

      I had a planned surgery few years ago and none of my colleagues knew any details. Only my manager and the colleague who was my back up knew in advance. It wasn’t something I particularly enjoyed thinking about, let alone talking.

      • Sandra says:

        Right, but did you schedule professional meetings and events for the time that you KNEW you’d be in the hospital?

      • Chelsea says:

        Yeah that is what is so weird about this. If this procedure was planned and she knew she’d be out of communication for months why didnt they cancel these events? Yeah most people wouldn’t tell all their coworkers their business but most people aren’t taxpayer funded public officials with diaries planned months in advance that require coordination with the government. Many of the royals’ visits include cameos from local politicians and there’s a lot of security that has to go in for senior royals requiring coordination with loc authorities. It’s implausible that if there knew this was coming they wouldnt have told her aides so changes and provisions could be made. This is so odd.

      • equality says:

        They wouldn’t have to know details, but you would think that if she had something wrong with her intestines that they would notice frequent bathroom trips or paleness or being less active or changes in eating habits if they were working with her daily.

      • Nika says:

        @Sandra – well yes. I have usually meetings scheduled for months in advance. The surgery was planned, but only 2 weeks in advance. So I had to cancel/reschedule quite a few meetings.

    • Steph says:

      @equality that’s assuming it was an ongoing issue instead of an injury. I’m under the impression that something was done to her by Pegs.

      • Erin says:

        I have been thinking this also. The sudden nature of it, the planned appearances that need cancelling…. This may sound nuts but I have the worrying feeling that the same cause of her frequently bandaged hands is the cause here also. The long clashing black gloves covering most of her arms at that awards show, her rigid focus and simpering behaviour around her husband who had the power in the relationship… warning signs everywhere. Scary.

      • Jaded says:

        Sadly I think there is merit in your suspicions. Maybe the bandaged fingers and long gloves were a sort of silent signal of ongoing abusive behaviour. If William was violent enough to choke Harry by his necklace and knock him over, then taunt him to fight back, he’s capable of physically attacking his wife.

      • Katie says:

        Have there been rumours of William being violent towards her? I know he has a temper — can someone get me up to speed ?

  3. The Duchess says:

    How can a ‘planned’ surgical procedure come as a surprise to royal aides? I knew it wouldn’t be long before the palaces started leaking all over the place. Truth will out eventually about just how sick Keen is. If she was fine, they would march her out and we’d be hearing much more from the Middleton’s. The silence surrounding it all is very telling.

    • Chloe says:

      The palace obviously lied about the surgery being planned. Just like they lied about QEII hospitalization was just for observation and that she was “fine”

    • Cessily says:

      Transplants are considered planned but also spur of the moment surgeries. Maybe she needed a new liver or kidney? The speculation and possibilities are endless.

      • morgfunk says:

        sure we can endlessly speculate, but I don’t think it’s that hard to figure out. when you look and see that hospital specializes in abdominal procedures, and look at the length of time she’s staying and the secrecy…She has a colostomy bag right now, end of. I think she will have it reversed soon (ish?) but it sounds like a bowel resection and she doesn’t want anyone to know. I’m not a fan of hers but this must be a nightmare for her…karmically induced sure but a freaking colostomy bag for a princess? She could just put on her big girl pants about it but we know that’s not her style.

      • sparrow says:

        morgfunk. exactly my thinking. with some possible mh issues brought on by pain and perhaps her husband. but essentially that’s the surgery, yes. IMO

      • sparrow says:

        morgfunk there was a brilliant and interesting post on here a few days ago from someone with a husband who does this surgery. I want to say Josie or JosieQ?

      • BlueNailsBetty says:

        @Morgfunk Medical problems are not “karmically induced” and that way of thinking is horribly ableist.

        We can discuss medical issues without saying a person, even an a$$hole, deserves to be ill.

      • BeanieBean says:

        You don’t all of a sudden need a kidney! I mean, she’d’ve been having health problems for a while, were that the case; visits to doctors, maybe dialysis, she’d probably be on prednisone, which shows on the face. No, some liver or kidney disease serious enough to require transplant would have resulted in noticeable health issues long before this. Think of Sarah Hyland on Modern Family.

  4. Chloe says:

    “ “Her parents are an enduring factor in the upbringing of their grandchildren,” a palace insider tells PEOPLE. ”

    Where is william? Is he not a factor in his children’s upbringing? Was he not praised for oh so graciously clearing his diary to take care of his wife?

  5. The cover up continues and they seem to need to peddle that cover up here in the USA. But why? Could it be because the coverage over here isn’t buying what is being sold? I think so. That story from a past patient who had abdominal surgery was bizarre. I really think it’s therapy for something else that she is getting but remember they complained about Harry getting too much therapy and they wouldn’t let Meg get help so if Can’t is having some mental issues they will have to hide that.

    • Chloe says:

      Maybe she’s at rehab for a drinking problem

      • Agnes says:

        I wondered if she might be having a Whipple for chronic pancreatitis, whether alcohol or ED induced. That is a horrible surgery with big risks of going bad, and would require all that hospitalization.

      • Zapp Brannigan says:

        There was a story in the Popbitch mail out when H&M got engaged that William was concerned about MM as she was in Hollywood and drug use was rampart in those circles, the mail out said that if William was concerned about such a thing he should be more concerned about revelations closer to home. At the time I read that as Harry but maybe it referred to Kate?

      • Rnot says:

        @Agnes, ooh that’s a good guess. A Whipple can mean surgical drains for a couple weeks and a 1-2 week hospital stay is pretty standard.

    • Jais says:

      Yes @ susan collins. I said the same above. It’s bizarre. Even for a KP briefing.

    • Beach Dreams says:

      If they think this is going to make American media less skeptical, they’d better think again. They’re trying to over explain and it’s making the situation look even more muddled.

    • Digital Unicorn says:

      Am also beginning to think that this is a stalling stunt to put off a divorce announcement in an attempt to get him to not divorce her. There is just something highly suspicious about the whole thing – if she is having ‘planned’ surgery then it could easily have been something that could have been planned for during summer when the royals usually take a few months off. I would put it past them to schedule it in for now and then leak to the press to create sympathy for her but alas there is very little for her.

      • Jeanne says:

        100% this.

        It’s obvious.

      • Deena says:

        You are on to something. This headline from the Mirror “Prince William bewildered by Kate Middleton’s sudden hospital stay’, expert claims”.

        Tin foil hat time: William wants a divorce, Kate panics and pulls this hospital stunt or self harms to buy time and make it difficult. The Middleton’s going rogue? Or just Kate?

        Maybe we haven’t seen pics of her parents visiting because they are not onboard with this stunt. I am just speculating here, but I truly believe that if they divorce, Carole will be firmly on William’s side. Carole is not about to lose proximity to the BRF and the aristos because her daughter couldn’t keep her man.

      • @Digital Unicorn, this has been my thought from the beginning, but I didn’t feel like dealing with any annoying tut-tutting in earlier posts about how it would be “insensitive to Kate’s plight” to say so. I genuinely do wish her full recovery if she really is ill, however both the flybe stunt and the forging Harry’s signature incident showed how far these people are willing to go to falsify and weaponize PR to their benefit, so this reason always made the most sense to me, especially with all of the vagueness.

      • Lady D says:

        There is no doubt in my mind that Carole will side with Willie in the event of a divorce. I actually don’t think the circumstances will matter, she’s going to side with Willie every time.

      • Teagirl says:

        @Deena and @LD, Carole might side with William because Kate would probably get a very large settlement, and Carole could get access to it.

      • Deena says:

        @Teagirl, I don’t think money is the biggest motivation for Carole, It’s status. It has always been status.

      • Mtl.ex.pat says:

        @digital & @deena – that crossed my mind too….

  6. Nanea says:

    The rota 🐀🐀🐀 don’t know what to do without clear marching orders from Keensington Palace.

    While People got something from somewhere, the Mirror had a bit of… irritating but revealing news, that Bulliam was “bewildered by Kate’s sudden hospital stay”. This clearly screams loving couple in a stable relationship living under one tiny palatial roof, if nothing else. /s

    Too bad things got out of hand before the 60 people on the Wailses’ staff, the gold-plated experts and the circus full of 🤡 could think of *one* strategy and run with it.

    Oh well, more luck next time.

    That said, I’m expecting for Kate to make a full recovery from whatever for the sake of her kids – but other than that I hope that everything she wished for Meghan will happen to her.

    • Lucy says:

      The bewildered language points to MH, one thousand percent. Physical issues that require surgery are not confusing, unless he’s that stupid. There’s almost no mention of Will in the people article, which is a choice.

      A friend of mine from high school married a cop and they had several kids, and she had struggles with her mental health and was self harming to cope. Her husband’s response was to file for divorce and have her kicked out of their home and no visitation for a long time to “protect the kids.” I’m getting the same vibes here.

    • Becks1 says:

      “bewildered” is a very weird to use when a spouse has a medical condition that requires surgery. My mom had her knee replaced, my father was not bewildered that she was in the hospital overnight.

      Like, if they had said he was surprised or caught off guard or unprepared or something…..okay. But bewildered?? that definitely indicates that there is more here than just a physical ailment.

      • Rapunzel says:

        Bewildered only makes sense if her medical problems were brought on by a MH issue such as an ED. Then I could see him being bewildered she has an ED, because he’s likely not around her enough to notice.

      • Becks1 says:

        @Rapunzel yup, agreed. then I could see him scratching his head – “but what do you mean she has XYZ condition and its because she has an eating disorder? She just watches what she eats, I guess, I don’t actually know what she eats in a day……”

        That also pivots back to Angela Levin’s comments re: Diana.

    • Eurydice says:

      Wasn’t William “bewildered” just a week or so ago about Charles’ support of Andrew? Maybe William has problems understanding things, in general.

      • LongTimeLurker says:

        Eurydice, if I recall correctly he was “bemused” by the King’s support of a paedophile… which was also an odd (bewildering) choice of words to use in relation to something so serious and disgusting…

  7. Elle says:

    I wonder if she had an ovarian cyst that burst (that’s probably not the correct medical term). Or it wasn’t going away on its own. I only say that because I had an ovarian cyst which wasn’t cancerous – they tested it because I have a genetic mutation – but my gynecological oncologist said that if it didn’t resolve within a few weeks, he would need to surgically remove it because it could BECOME cancerous, and it may have resulted in the removal of my ovary. Fortunately it went away and it was pain free. I have had friends that had ovarian cysts and their experience wasn’t nearly as benign.

    Anyway, we will never know and it’s her private health information. But I hope she isn’t in too much pain. My understanding is that any type of abdominal surgery recovery is pretty uncomfortable.

    • NikkiK says:

      That’s not a two week hospital stay and months of recovery though. Nothing gynecological is this day and age unless there are very serious complications, I.e. massive infection or sepsis or something.

      • roooth says:

        I had Endometriosis for years. It is extremely painful. After years of suffering and excessive bleeding and passing huge blood clots, I finally had a hysterectomy. It took 4 hours, which is much longer than a normal hysterectomy. My incision went all the way across my abdomen, and my abdominal cavity was full of adhesions that had to be removed. My uterus was so full of adhesions that it was the size of a 16 wk pregnancy. My hospital stay was a week, but I was in bed for several weeks. My recovery took months.

      • Mtl.ex.pat says:

        @nikkik & cessily – no, not necessarily. 10 years ago, unbeknownst to me, I had a dermoid cyst on an ovary that grew to the size of a cantaloupe. Dermoid cysts are the ones that look like aliens – they grow bone, teeth and hair on them. I was out dancing at a concert one night and the next morning it twisted under its own weight, cutting the blood flow and essentially “killing”
        the ovary. I collapsed in pain and was rushed to hospital by ambulance for emergency surgery.
        Now, I was only in hospital for 3 days, but I was off work for over 6 weeks recovering. The scar was 5 inches long and I had staples in it for a week. Every time I sneezed I thought my insides were going to come bursting out for weeks.
        So yes – some gynaecological operations require weeks of recovery.
        That said – I suspect something else is going on with Kate here and my guess for what it’s worth is either ulcers or something related to an ED.

    • Cessily says:

      To many women have had serious ovarian cysts issues I’ve never heard of anyone being hospitalized that long except my friend who had a stroke during the surgery. (She recovered and still has 1/2 of an ovary)

    • MaryContrary says:

      Family member had that. It was outpatient surgery. Took just a few weeks before she was fully up and out. Six-eight weeks before she could resume vigorous exercise.

    • Sophie says:

      @Elle, I had an ovarian cyst that needed removal, and that was my full ovary too. I was in pain for some months yes, I was constantly throwing up, two nights before my surgery I couldn’t sleep and had fever and then I went to a clinic. I went at around 3 am in the morning and at around 3 pm in the afternoon I was out. The surgery lasted a long time (around 2 hours. I stayed one night at the clinic and the next day I was out.

      I can understand that every patient and every surgery is different, but to stay around 14 days at a hospital for an ovarian cyst I think it’s not feasible. Maybe if it turned to peritonitis? But, I’m not even sure that it would be so long…

    • JustBitchy says:

      I had an ovarian cyst. They finally took it and both ovaries out. Same day procedure and aside from the standard nausea reaction to anesthesia l, I was up and about the next day. I also have a history of endometriosis that was painful.

    • Puppy1 says:

      I had an ovarian cyst the size of a football removed as well as an elective hysterectomy. I was in the hospital 2 nights only because the night nurse was taking my pain meds and I was in excruciating pain. Also, as I’ve mentioned, I donated a kidney where they opened me up, cut through muscles and removed a rib. I had 40+ staples. I was in the hospital for 4 days. With both surgeries I was “back to normal” within 6 weeks. There’s something else going on with Kate.

    • ChattyCath says:

      I’m afraid one of the Royals had a lot of media coverage about their ‘Ovarian Cysts’ in the 1960s. Couldn’t have a semi commoner in The Family. I’m sorry about yours. The whole thing must be so worrying, @JustBitchy. It used to be a euphemism that no one would be taken in by now.

    • Steph says:

      My sis had ovarian cysts the size of grapefruits on each ovary removed in the same surgery. She was out the next day and was recovered within a week.

      SN: when they dissected the cysts, there where small body parts in them! 😲

      • roooth says:

        My mother loved to tell about the baby parts in her ovarian cyst.

      • Mtl.ex.pat says:

        @rooth & @steph – yep – I had a cyst like that removed – dermoid cyst. Took the ovary out too. Surgeon asked if I wanted to see a photo of it after. I’m not squeamish so said sure – good lord it had hair and there were teeth sticking out of it. My husband and I joke that I was growing an alien….(gallows humour I know…)

      • BeanieBean says:

        Ooh-kay then, just learned something I’m not sure I wanted to know! Wowzers, ladies, you have my admiration at your strength for bearing up to such strange, and painful, medical issues!

  8. Beach Dreams says:

    Nope, not buying any of what People is selling. Not even them “clarifying” the timeline of events. I still think that Dec. 28th convoy was for her.

    • Nic919 says:

      They know at this point that the video of the Dec 28 convoy is being linked to kate and no source has tried to deny it wasn’t her. They are just pretending it doesn’t exist.

      As for this people cover, this is likely that royalist guy they hired, Simon Perry because he just touts propaganda and doesn’t understand most Americans don’t care about Kate.

      This vague abdominal surgery isn’t a crisis if that only what it was and all they end up doing is making it look like there is another issue they are covering up.

    • anotherlily says:

      One account I’ve read says Kate became ill on the 28th December and was taken to the London Clinic. Whatever treatment she had didn’t resolve the problem and she needed further surgery. This was the ‘planned surgery ‘.

      • Jk says:

        I am guessing she went for a colonoscopy or MRI scan that day and the doctors decided it was best to operate and they set the date.

      • Nic919 says:

        There would not have been a convoy for an MRI colonoscopy because those are normally scheduled. There was some emergency event that lead to her going from Anmer which is in Norwich to the hospital in London, hours away. The convoy was to clear the traffic for fast traffic but not use an ambulance.

        A regular checkup doesn’t involve the same level of police cars and clearing the road. They are more low key for that stuff. This was an urgent matter.

        It is also why someone ended up filming it because the police were clearing traffic enough to catch people’s attention.

  9. Harla A Brazen Hussy says:

    Yes, how sensible of Kate to take months of recovery time, such a wonderful example for the rest of us who fear losing our jobs if we’re out for more than a couple of weeks. I’m constantly astounded by how the royal aides continue to highlight how privileged, entitled and out of touch their bosses truly are, yet they think they’re making them relatable.

    • vsk says:

      Exactly my thoughts! How many people are able to afford such a luxury as taking a few months off to recover without fear of losing their jobs?

    • Cerys says:

      Everyone else is told to get back to normal as quickly as possible. Lying around in bed is usually seen as being detrimental to your recovery.
      I agree that Kate is entitled to the same medical privacy as everyone else but the story that has been put out by KP doesn’t add up and has resulted in more speculation.

    • Lady Esther says:

      That caught my eye as well. “Let me serve as an example to you stupid peasants who think you have to go back to work – just don’t! There won’t be any consequences at all. I’m leading by example in doing no work.”

      It is the same tone that Kate and William used to take when telling us that you can’t be a good parent unless you stay home and don’t work. And the same tone when telling us that it’s easy to be a good parent if you “listen” to your kids/support them/teach them to be kind/and other insipid platitudes. See, it’s all just so easy!

      Their PR is a clown show…

    • Laura D says:

      Hang on a minute. I thought she would be working from her sick bed? Not that I agree with anyone working against medical advice but, they can’t have it both ways. She either needs three months off to recuperate or she doesn’t.

  10. kc says:

    Their PR “strategy” is a joke. I work in a hospital, specifically in female health and I can’t think of a single procedure, no matter how complex, that would demand a “2 week stay”. Even in the nicest of hospitals, the risk of in-hospital infection is higher and they want to get patients home. If she’d had a surgery and something went wrong, then saying she might stay longer would make more sense. I wouldn’t wish this on her.

    A two week stay seems more mental health related.

    • Agnes says:

      I worked on both regular floors and ICUs and the only patients I ever saw stay more than 5 days were flat out in the ICU, after a procedure gone bad. Even open heart surgeries go home within 5 days. That long a stay definitely sounds more psychiatric.

      • Chicken says:

        I was in the hospital for 12 days last summer after collapsing and being diagnosed with liver failure (alcoholism during the pandemic, things went downhill FAST). I didn’t require surgery, but I was weak and unsteady and on a restrictive diet for a good while afterwards (I’m on pace to celebrate one year sober this summer).

    • Steph says:

      Doctor tiktok is saying the same thing. The longer you are in the hospital the higher the risk of infection.
      I’ve seen a lot of people saying bc she is royal she is getting special treatment and that’s why she gets to stay that long. But all I can think about is that she was sent home the same day she gave birth so…

  11. Sunday says:

    Nothing to see here, just the official People coverup story casually glazing over the entire actual story. That they can’t even come up with a lie believable enough for People speaks volumes.

    I think there was nearly zero birthday fanfare because she was either already in hospital or this year was supposed to start her fade into the background. That’s also why there’s been such an obvious lack of sugary PR stories about Kate and the family (even this People story is conspicuously lacking flowers and fingerpainted cards) – because Will/KP had a different vision board for this year and Kate wasn’t on it, and now they don’t know where to go with the narrative because they don’t want to drum up sympathy for someone he doesn’t want around long-term.

    My working theory is that Will showed Kate his Kate-less vision board sometime around the end of last year, and Kate hit the nuclear button and either self-harmed or entered into this medical ruse for self-preservation. This whole thing is a DISASTER, I wonder if they even know where Kate is. Can’t divorce her if he can’t find her, that’s galaxy brain thinking right there!

    • Jeanne says:

      You are exactly right. Williams vision board was kate-less and carole acted fast.

    • Tara says:

      @Sunday – “ I wonder if they even know where Kate is. Can’t divorce her if he can’t find her, that’s galaxy brain thinking right there!” – that made me laugh

    • roooth says:

      Is Kate cosplaying Charlene of Monaco? This sure gives off those vibes

    • Proud Mary says:

      Ya know, you’re on to something. I think Charles has been trying to put this off for a while, even suggesting a trial separation. I do believe that W had not been living at Adelaide at all–see those videos of them showing up separately at events. (I am convinced that the rota is fully aware of this). After a trial separation, the parties either agree to remain married, or one or both parties opt for the door. Guess which party chose which option? On the one hand, considering how poorly William treats her, I’m really not sure why Kate wants to stay married to him; but on the other what else can she do? Her situation truly is desperate; being dumped by an abusive husband is a heavy load, especially if you’re trapped by circumstances, including a broke-azz-social-climbing mother. So I can imagine a ginormous breakdown upon learning that W wants the separation made permanent. Do I feel sorry for her? Of course not!

      • Nic919 says:

        They were arriving separately at Wimbledon in 2022, months before the confirmed move to Adelaide cottage. George greeted William like he hadn’t seen him that morning and there is the footage of Kate waiting in a Land Rover when William and Charlotte arrive separately in a helicopter for the commonwealth games. Again also summer 2022 prior to the official move to Adelaide cottage.

  12. Becks1 says:

    If no one knows what kind of surgery she had, then how is this random patient talking about surgery and the london clinic any help? There is a big difference between an appendectomy and a bowel resection.

    this timeline just adds more questions too, if its accurate – she had to have this surgery on January 17 or 16 or whenever, and the surgery was planned and not due to a sudden issue from “over the weekend” but no one in her close circle – including the people she works with, who would be planning events etc – knew about it? That makes it sound more sudden than planned. (and yes I know it could have been “planned” 24 hours in advance, but the timeline is just weird here.)

    • Amy Bee says:

      The press knows exactly what procedure Kate had.

      • Tisme says:

        I don’t think it was a procedure. Because of the recovery timeframe, I think it’s mental health or addictions related. I wish her well.
        BUT THIS IS ALSO A DISTRACTION….LET”S NOT FORGET ANDREW IS STILL A PEDO!

    • Sunday says:

      Totally agree, the timeline is a mess. The People article makes it worse IMO bc they specify that as of Jan 11 she was canceling events – that’s a whole week before the surgery, so how were “people working close to her” still blindsided?

      To me, this only makes sense if KP is two completely separate teams – Kate’s team (apparently just Carole and Natalie, her one aide) was canceling events and apparently scheduling surgery, and Will’s team (the rest of KP/the firm) has zero to do with Kate and had no idea because he usually just sends any calls from her lone assistant to voicemail. I wonder how much of the weird sort of strangled comms here are because Carole was so neutered by the PP scandals last year..?

      Also, quick Q: if this article is accurate, either they were at Anmer for the holidays OR it was Kate in that 12/28 video, right? Not both because they’re too far from each other? (Or I suppose Will and the children could have been at Anmer and Kate could have been at Adelaide alone, ooh, dark).

      • Sunday says:

        OMG the more I think about it the more I’m convinced that both could be true – it’d make total sense if after the joint royal holiday event obligations, Will had custody of the children so they stayed up at Anmer post-Christmas, meanwhile Kate was solo in Adelaide meaning it still could’ve been her in the 12/28 vid.

  13. Jeanne says:

    Does anyone else think it’s odd that laineygossip has not chimed in? It leads me to believe that some people know the truth and won’t play along with the “kate had surgey” stories.

    • Lady Esther says:

      She gave up on royal coverage a while back because she said it was boring, particularly because the vast majority of coverage consisted of British media yelling about the Sussexes. I don’t think she ever really had good royal contacts either, so it’s no big loss…

    • Tina says:

      She addressed the dueling medical announcements in her Squawk newsletter and basically said that she thought this was an example of the palaces working together because Charles’ announcement helped take some attention off Kate’s. I have no clue if she’s right or not. Lainey has some weird takes on the royal family for someone who lives in North America and has worked in media for years. She did say she didn’t talk about royals much anymore since its boring (and I suspect just gets her lots of emails from either side).

      • Kingston says:

        Actually, this was my take last week as well (& PS: I dont read lainey).

        Because if you think about it, usually any announcement that all three offices (BP, CH, KP and the Sussexes when they were still in that toxic firm) are expected to make, follow the hallowed pattern in descending order of heirarchical importance. So it would be: BP, CH, KP, H&M.

        But last week, the sudden announcement from WanK was startling and just as folks began to comment on it, there came the announcement about chucky’s planned prostate surgery……..an appointment that was at least a week away, so why announce it then, right?

        Obviously, the expectation of the gray suits was that the monarch’s announcement would knock that of the wife of the heir off the front pages and, of course, take the focus off the aryan princess in whom so much of their hopes and dreams lay.

        But while that might have been the script that their media sycophants was to follow, they cant dictate non-traditional media. So kkkHATE’s situtation, based on its suddenness, its potential seriousness and the secrecy and lies surrounding it, will definitely see it taking precedence of chucky’s routine surgery.

        Unless, of course, something happens to chucky during his procedure.

        Folks are having a hard time understanding exactly what could have occurred so suddenly to kkkHATE, when up to the 9th of January, her birthday, she was…..er….supposedly okay. Her hospitalization was announced Jan 17…..thats the day brits were told OF her hospitalization……not necessarily that she was hospitalized that day.

        So, as with the fall of Nixon and every other public figure, the truth is burried under the cover-up, secrecy and lies……just waiting to be revealed.

    • Mimi says:

      She has ceased reporting anything remotely critical or unflattering regarding William or Kate, so no, her silence is not surprising.

      • Tina says:

        Yah when she said she thought Kate’s leg flashing was positive (not sure how she described it) I was shocked. As someone with media training she had to know it wasn’t appropriate for a state visit. Very weird.

      • Lucy says:

        Time, I remember that, it was so weird. She thought it was showing personality? Or reminding everyone she has sex appeal (legs)? It was such a strange take.

      • roooth says:

        I wondered if Kate flashing her cooch at the Koreans and the world was a cry for help. There was no reason for her to get out of a car like that. It was wildly inappropriate and easily avoidable and therefore intentional. And the media treating it like it was a good look for Kate was just weird.

    • Eurydice says:

      I’ve been following Lainey for years and she certainly knows the ins and outs of the celebrity PR machine and how to best position stories to achieve certain goals..

      That said, I don’t know if she’s equally clued into the craziness of the British royal reporting industry. Or it might be that the royal reporting world is so insane and divorced from any human logic, that there’s no point in trying to figure it out. We follow the royals in detail and still can’t figure out what their goals are, other than keeping the institution going forever. When the answer to questions is “because they’re racist” or “because this person hates that person” or “because they’re lazy” or “nobody cares if he’s a pedophile” – then the conversation is boring and pointless because none of that will change. If I wasn’t interested in H&M’s story and future, I wouldn’t spend two minutes on the rest of the RF.

      • Nic919 says:

        Lainey is friends with Omid and did say positive things about Endgame. She has basically said that there is only so much hate coverage she can cover because it is the same over and over. She also gets a ton of emails about the royals even when she doesn’t write about them. Yes her take on Kate flashing leg was odd, but she didn’t shy away from saying their disatour in Jamaica was racist.

  14. lanne says:

    The KP coms team really screwed up here. They shouldnt have said anything about the length of hospital stay. They could have said abdominal surgery without mentioning the amount of time in hospital. Now everyone has been sapeculating because there arent many procedures that require that long a hospital stay. Which of course leads people to consider other types of problems.

    As big of idiots as the coms team are, their first statement may haven been done in panicked haste. They should have told the truth in a very straight forward way (if indeed it is a medical procedure). It stinks in terms of her privacy, but she’s the Princess of Wales. The British media has established that they “own” the royals, and the royals have played along with that.
    People are going to speculate because the details they shared don’t add up.

    If she is someplace in the UK, chances are people are going to find out. They should have sent her out of the country if they want to maintain secrecy. Going to People magazine was a big mistake. But the coms team seems to react instead of act.

    • Tina says:

      They completely screwed up with this. You are right they should not have given the timing of the hospital stay. We know they lie constantly so they could have said she was released after 5 days or so and was resting at home and no one would know. Just do a big security detail run from the hospital to Windsor and no one would know she wasn’t there. I’m starting to think she’s chilling at Amner and she’s just playing hardball with William. The comment about William being surprised was so weird.

  15. Carol Ann says:

    My guess is a major facelift. She’s been looking ragged and isn’t aging very well. Those bruises take a long time to heal.

    • Anna says:

      I would after but this timing is very weird – there are times of the tear where is usually disappears and nobody would ask any questions.

      I still think sth happened in reaction to at Wills did.

      My opinion of Kate is similar to the prevailing one on this site but I don’t envy her life and hope she recovers and find peace.

  16. Over it says:

    So many people to look after Kate but not a mention of her dearly devoted husband. Wank where you at ?

  17. EasternViolet says:

    has either palace released a statement that she is expected to make a full recovery? (yet)

  18. Amy Bee says:

    Didn’t press say that William and Kate are so close with their staff and that they treat them like family? So, Kate didn’t even tell her interim private secretary that she had to get surgery? It would explain why KP was still briefing the press about tours and scheduling engagements.

    • Jais says:

      Is her interim private secretary Natalie something? I’m not even sure who is working as her interim private secretary right now. Someone said it’s secretly Carole the other day. I get the feeling that Kate worked well with Jason Knauf. Can’t recall his exact position but Kate had many phone calls with him in the CC and seemed to get on with him. I’ve wondered if he served as an emotional support for her within KP. But of course he had to go after the DM trial and the Wales have been floundering for a while. As much as we disliked them, Simon Case and Jason Knauf seemed to steer the ship. Though I’m not saying they steered it well.

    • Sunday says:

      I think we need to view everything KP as Will only. Kate’s “team” is completely separate and subserviant; Natalie is the assistant private secretary and yes I’d believe Carole was heavily involved until the PP scandals sidelined her (which I think had been in the works since the Diana statue unveiling). IMO, Natalie’s job title is giving Dwight Shrute – assistant to the regional manager, not assistant manager.

      So yes, it’s why one hand doesn’t know what the other is doing, and why Will’s team was still briefing about engagements and tours, and meanwhile Kate’s canceling events due to a “totally normal and planned medical event” and her lone assistant was probably trying to call KP repeatedly and getting sent to voicemail.

      And yes, I think *Will* is extremely close with his staff, which explains a lot and broaches significantly more questions pertaining to said staff.

  19. Buzz says:

    My bet is on a facelift or a mental health crisis. Royal officials have lied like a rug for centuries.
    Mental health crisis is more likely because the body language between Kate and William has been hot and cold since they first got together however much more cold as of Christmas day.

    • sparrow says:

      I have never heard “lied like a rug” before. Thanks, it’s brilliant.

    • Proud Mary says:

      I’ve not seen that body language “hot” for several years; and if you think it’s only been cold since Xmas, you haven’t been paying attention. For an amuse bouche, check out those vids from the Jordanian wedding from last summer.

  20. Teagirl says:

    As the plot thickens and the PR gets worse and worse, I’m beginning to wonder if it is an MH issue along the lines of an impending divorce announcement which made Kate do something. The thing about medical procedures is that there is always a timeline and even taking into account infections and other problems, it seems excessive for Kate. Of course it could be something physical along with MH; as someone else posted there are just so many possibilities. MH issues could explain why the timeline is so fluffy; you can’t know when someone is going to respond to treatment and how well they will do under that treatment.

    I’m so sorry for the children and I hope they are receiving the care, attention, and love that they need in order to cope.

    • Lady D says:

      I too hope the children have been told what they need to know, to keep them assured they get (or already have) their mother back.

    • WiththeAmerican says:

      Yeah, I feel horrible for the kids. Having your mom sick is so scary, even when you have nannies I would guess.

    • Kat says:

      It is the children I feel sorry for in all this
      What ever is wrong with her her children will be missing her the most.

  21. Brassy Rebel says:

    At this point, People has just become royal propaganda and I don’t believe a word they say. There’s not much substance here anyway. The random anonymous abdominal surgery patient was a nice touch but completely irrelevant.

  22. Kateee says:

    If this were a divorce stall tactic, William would have given the go-ahead to out Kate as a liar. Probably pin it on Camilla and Charles, too. That’s the kind of man he is. And why would she hide from divorce? She would get an allowance, a manor, and all the public fawning she could court without doing a stitch of the work she hates ever again.

    If this were cosmetic, she would have just disappeared for weeks on end as she has routinely done for years now.

    Sometimes a duck is just a duck. It really isn’t hard to imagine that she went in for a minor scheduled surgery assuming she’d be fine within a day and no one would have to know (Lloyd Austin style). If she had a complication and/or needed something much more extensive than anticipated, that would easily explain why KP was caught with its PR pants down and why William was caught off guard as well. Remember–these people are completely reactive and not particularly cunning.

    Whatever her crisis, I wish her good health and an easy recovery.

    • Proud Mary says:

      (1) Kate did not marry William, and Carol(E) did not create the fictional PP for the sake of “an allowance and a manor”; Kate could have gotten that from any rich British guy (insert Pippa’s situation). Kate and her mother want that crown on her head and Carol(E) will compel Kate to endure any abuse for that privilege (2) I honestly don’t know what you mean by “outing Kate as a liar” because of divorce stall tactics; he can simply file for divorce whether or not she agrees; but it’s not going to prevent a nervous breakdown in the hopes of stalling, especially if someone is extremely desperate to prevent it (3) I agree that it’s possibly not cosmetics, unless it was botched or something else went wrong; (4) sometimes a duck is just a duck, unless it has the head of a duck and the body of a chicken– here, the information KP has released is inconsistent with medical procedure or commonsense. Why shouldn’t the public be skeptical?

  23. Tisme says:

    So William has visited her one time- and nobody else? I don’t think she’s actually at that hospital. I think she may have been there on Dec 28 for a few days but has since been flown to a treatment center to work on her mental health (perhaps William showing up at the hospital was performative or to say goodbye before she left)
    I’m sure sharing custody over the holidays was incredibly hard and maybe this affected her MH drastically. I wish her a full recovery.

  24. Mary Pester says:

    See this is what happens when anything medical is going on with the Royals, THEY LIE and I honestly believe that the only reason Charlie disclosed what he was going into hospital for, was to try and deflect interest from Kate.
    We were told that prince Philip was going in just for a check up on a pre existing condition, then he was transfered to a heart hospital, and again they said it was a regular check up, nothing to see here! He was then discharged and died a couple of months later from the (according to Palace press releases) non existent heart condition!
    Then we were told the Queen was fine, absolutely fine just tired and having a few mobility issues, when in fact she was receiving treatment for bone cancer!,, The bloomin trauma marks on her hand showed there was something serious going on, but the press offices did what they always do, LIE AND GASLIGHT.
    something big has gone on, but I don’t think we will ever be told the truth

    • dfs says:

      Med worker here. QE2 didn’t have trauma to her hands.
      The very elderly have circulation issues whereby the extremities are affected.

      • Mary Pester says:

        @DFS, Yes she did have trauma on her left hand only, it was noted on several occasions, more so on the pictures of her in Balmoral, and as someone who regularly has trauma marks on her hands due to cancer, I know what they look like

      • Proud Mary says:

        Mary Pester, 100. Who can forgot BBC presenters, wearing mourning attire, on the day the queen died, telling the public the Queen was “resting comfortably.” Regardless, the public did not know the woman had cancer until long after she was dead and buried. Also, dfs, lots of us have or have had elderly grandparents; those images looked traumatic to me. But presumably, you’re the expert.

    • windyriver says:

      Some people (including me) thought the bruising on TQ’s hands, etc. could be a sign she was on blood thinners. The skin of people her age is so thin, if on blood thinners it doesn’t take much for bruises to appear without even realizing you knocked into something.

    • Feeshalori says:

      My elderly mom was on blood thinners and she had similar bruises on the back of her hands as well as other extremities. Between the meds, fragile skin and knocking into things, these bruises were commonplace on her.

  25. JustBitchy says:

    Plastic surgery isn’t that long of a recovery. Queen maxima had what I believe full upper blephorplasty (upper eye lids) after her third kid. Chick chick, 2 weeks and people think you look rested. It’s the best procedure to start your plastic surgery journey on. Start young and do minimal. I of what I speak. My role model (plastic surgery wise) is the late Pamela Harriman. Check her out.

    • Lady Esther says:

      Agree. Kate’s too young for a full facelift, the time for that is around 50 like when JLo had hers done. IMO Kate already had a brow lift in her late 30s one summer as is typically recommended (the change was noticeable) so no need to do a full facelift for another 8-10 years or so…

      • Proud Mary says:

        Are you kidding me? You might think 41 is young for full plastic surgery, but you are not in the public eye, having every inch of your face photographed. I don’t think you fully comprehend the pressure that puts on someone in Kate’s position. I don’t think Kate fully understood the level to which she was going to by scrutinized, especially in the age of social media. The invisible contract sycophantic media is not all there is these days. I can only imagine how difficult it could be for her once she exits that echo chamber; and William’s well-documented bad temper only serves to compound the problem.

      • Lady Esther says:

        Source : worked for a plastic surgeon. Whether or not you’re in the public eye, with modern non invasive options (from topicals to Botox and fillers) you can do a lot in your 30s and 40s and still look great, particularly if like Kate you are so thin that you don’t have to worry about things like chin waddle. Brow lift around 36-39 years old for that refreshed, open – eyed look and maybe some eye work if like Kate you had hooded eyelids. But a full facelift is usually put off until 50ish while you’re young enough that you recover quickly and it’s not such a huge difference that the public notices, if you’ve got a good surgeon…Less is more

    • sparrow says:

      I read a whole book about Capote’s Swans many years ago. Pamela Harriman – great to hear the name again.

    • Jaded says:

      Yeah, Pamela had the most amazing facelift I’ve ever seen, she looked 30 years younger.

      • lanne says:

        Fun fact: she was my college roomate’s grandmother

      • sparrow says:

        I love that kind of knowledge, lanne. It’s like my mum lived in the flat above or next to Stephen Ward (Profumo affair) when working in London. She used to get invited round for tea parties but always said no. So close to scandal and yet so far!

  26. Beech says:

    I did a quick look see on colon resection surgery and it’s a three to five day stay in the hospital. What say you in the medical field?

    • KateH says:

      I’ve had a total colectomy and the longest I stayed was when they removed ten inches and it was five days. Colectomy surgery post op is get the patient walking, moving, and eating as soon as possible or else there can be complications. That said, if she does have an ostomy, I hope she is told that there is nothing shameful about life saving treatments. My ostomy hands down has saved my life, and I wish I had been less caring about what other people thought and had gotten the surgery earlier.

    • The Old Chick says:

      I wrote the other day I had open (not keyhole) bowel resection which was major and I was in for 2 weeks (OK 13 days). I was in ICU first 2, then on intravenous antibiotics and pain for another 2 or 3. Fluids only till day 10. The bowel has to reliably seen to be working for a few days before leaving. Recovery was over 10 weeks. 3 months I was back to pre surgery fine. I had a major resection though.

      I’m leaning toward possible mental health and surgery given the lack of obvious visits but who knows. She could have just had something similar to mine.

      • sparrow says:

        I think this whole Kate story has brought to the fore everyone’s personal experiences in a way that has helped understanding across the board re surgery and challenges (particularly my understanding). I’m pleased to hear you had successful surgery, Old Chick.

      • The Old Chick says:

        Thanks, Sparrow. The surgery saved my life. I’m sure age and lack of fitness played into my longer recovery time. Kate would naturally recover more quickly. But these stories are getting weirder by the day. If she’s damaged her gut from a (maybe) Ed, hence the emergency rush to the hospital (something happened) and maybe now they’re doing mental health stuff. It’s nearly a month on so I wonder if she’s been in a facility this whole time.

    • Saucy&Sassy says:

      Beech, my abdominal surgery was an emergency surgery. I was opened up. They had to remove about 3″ of the small intestines, and I had a massive infection. I was in the hospital for 6 days. I pushed to get out because it was Christmas time. The night before I left, I finally got food–a bowl of beef broth and I kept it down. Obviously soft easily digestible food for a week or two (I can’t remember now, this was 25 years ago.)

      There was no physical therapy. I don’t know what that’s about. I got well on my own because I lived alone. I walked several times a day and went a little bit further each day until I was walking about a mile 3 times a day. I was good to go at my 6-week checkup and was able to return to work. I needed to.

      I have to wonder if an addiction issue has extended her stay.

  27. Rapunzel says:

    Dec 28th hospital rush was almost certainly her. That they don’t want to admit that is telling. Why not just say she had an emergency, tests were done, she went home as ahe waited for the resilts, and the results made them plan surgery, with very short notice? I honestly think, if was a bowel resection or something, that this is what happened. And they simply hoped surgery wouldn’t be needed, so it caught everyone off guard.

    Not explaining the thing on the 28th, even to explain it wasn’t Kate, makes it seem like she had an emergency and has perhaps been hospitalized since. But they don’t want to say the emergency because it was a suicide attempt or a horrible result from a violent fight with rage monster Will.

    Each day brings more questions and makes me more suspicious that Kate is in worse shape than we can imagine. If we don’t start hearing about her release when 14 days are up….

  28. Hector says:

    This is a mental health crisis.
    Here’s my theory:
    Kate and William had the worst fight ever, shortly after Christmas day and Kate had a total meltdown. Kate self-harmed her abdomen and was rushed to hospital on 28th Dec.
    Surgeons did a reconstruction job and now mental health experts are with Kate working on the situation. The experts have advised everyone esp William to keep their distance. And experts have advised Kate needs several months recovery.

    • Tyney says:

      Seems likely.
      If the situation was strictly physical, we’d be receiving more updates and a firmer idea of when Kate would be home. And we would see William bringing the children to hospital for a visit.
      Look at when Kate was hospitalised for severe morning sickness; there was much more transparency from palace officials.
      This current limbo situation I must admit, is very concerning.

  29. Minority Report says:

    I definitely think it’s a bowel resection due to complications from an eating disorder. I think she has a colostomy bag, and is probably also being treated for the underlying eating disorder.

    • Lulu says:

      I’m not a medical person but I’ve been leaning toward an issue that also includes hair loss.

      • Jaded says:

        Restricted calorie intake and stress can cause alopecia. That may be why she’s been wearing so many hairpieces.

    • HuffnPuff says:

      I agree. Some sort of bowel surgery necessitated by ED with a need for mental health treatment following physical recovery. With it being this serious and the chance for it to become public, William has to realize his role in this and will hopefully receive individual counseling. He has touted the importance of mental health treatment. It’s time to heed his own advice. Also ED can lead to hair loss.

  30. QuiteContrary says:

    “It is sensible to take the time,” says a source close to the royal household. “That is a great example to the rest of us, as you’re often told to get back to work as soon as possible, which can be damaging.”

    They really don’t understand how tone-deaf this is, do they?

    • sparrow says:

      It’s bloody insulting. I’m epileptic. I had a Christmas full of seizure activity which threw the holiday off for the whole family. You pick up the pieces and get on. Anyone else who’s a Brit epileptic on here? How’s the stress of finding your meds when Brexit has ****ed up the supply and you’re eeking out your emergency drugs? Stress city. There are critical drug shortages on several brands in the UK, for all sorts of diseases and conditions. Can you imagine a royal having to worry?

    • sparrow says:

      QuiteContrary ps I think the disparity between the way she’s being treated and how others are is what keeps grabbing my attention, and I’m trying to ignore Kate Middleton stuff! It was actually a new year’s resolution – don’t comment on the Middleton. The BRF should stop with the stories because they’re getting everyone’s backs up.

    • kelleybelle says:

      But, but … I thought she was going to work from her bed? Nobody knows what the eff is going on do they? Except Kate and Will?

  31. SeeMickSee says:

    Does anyone think W had her committed to damage her credibility as he phases her out? an old school gaslighting tactic like that would be pretty on brand for him. I could see W thinking it would strengthen his position and give him control of the public narrative if everyone thinks K is “crazy”. i mean, his fam has a strong preference for psychiatric gaslighting as a PR tactic…. it’s been a much used weapon in their arsenal for a long long time

    • Lulu says:

      Yes, I’ve wondered. No doctor statements saying she is recovering, no family saying ‘oh I saw her today and she is looking forward to going home’.

    • Rapunzel says:

      He did have a short visit apparently,…. to sign the commitment papers? I sure hope it’s not this nefarious.

      • roooth says:

        3 days post op & Wank showed up for 15 minutes? No family was with her when she woke up after surgery? Damn, that’s cold – unless she isn’t allowed visitors.

    • Jaded says:

      I’ve gotten to the point where I’d believe anything that this vile family does. Seriously, none of them seem to have the remotest sense of empathy, integrity or a conscience.

  32. Mel says:

    I’m sticking to her having some kind of breakdown and she’s now either in an ultra private sanitarium or being treated in a secluded location.

  33. Roseberry says:

    There are a couple of amusing/ironic UK political commentators that I follow on YouTube and twitter x , both always brutally cutting and incisive- going by supertanskiii and Jonathan Pie.
    I laughed out loud today listening to supertan refer to Kates hospitalisation as her latest’ Droid Wife software update.’ The dog is still side eyeing me as I gave him such a scare🤣

  34. Sleepy Mama says:

    It’s a mommy makeover. Tummy tuck and a boob lift. Both of which sound innocuous but a tummy tuck involves some serious cutting and recovery and it would be hard to hide swollen boobs. She’s really done having kids so it’s time to “fix” the aftermath.

    • Jaded says:

      Nope. I had a tummy tuck so the skin and tissue could be used to rebuild my half a breast after a lumpectomy. I was in hospital for 3 days and home recovering for a few weeks but still got out for walks every day.

  35. Elsa says:

    Kate being embarrassed or close mouthed about health issues tracks. Remember when she was so upset about Meagan talking about her hormones?

  36. sparrow says:

    Throwing this out to the medics out there. Thinking this is her bowel, and thinking it was planned for a day or two after she went in, or perhaps many months ago as a worst case scenario, what would the emergency be on the 28th? Does something burst or something? Or is there sudden agonising and chronic pain that causes hospital attendance? Thank you in advance. And apols for my ignorance.

    • Teagirl says:

      I have bowel disease and yes there can be sudden agonizing and chronic pain accompanied by heavy bleeding. It’s excruciating and needs a visit to the hospital Emerge to see what’s what. They sometimes do a colonoscopy, other times an MRI. If they don’t /can’t keep you in for a day or two, you go home and await results. Then next steps are decided upon which might be nothing, meds, or in one of my more horrible situations told on Friday they will operate first thing Monday morning. I suppose that counts as planned!

      I’m not a medic, just a sufferer of several decades

      • sparrow says:

        Hi Teagirl. Thank you for your post. I was wondering what could necessitate the emergency. And I’m sorry to hear that you have this disease and for so long. I can talk epilepsy till the cows come home but real medical knowledge for me stops from the brain down.

    • Saucy&Sassy says:

      sparrow, a completely blockage would necessitate emergency surgery. That happened to me.

      • Jk says:

        Sparrow, my boyfriend’s brother had agonising pain when his diverticulitis burst and all the poop spilled out but he waited until the morning before rushing to the ER because he was convinced the doctors would send him back home saying it was gas pains as they had done many times before. He almost died.
        He was hospitalised for about two weeks after bowel resection.

      • sparrow says:

        Saucy&Sassy and Jk. Thank you for your information. God, it sounds awful. And truly agonising. My doctor time is eaten up by seizures mainly, hence my ignorance. Saucy&Sassy I’ve just read your detailed post upthread and what a slog you had to get healthy again. I’m just in awe of the pain people have got through.

  37. BlueNailsBetty says:

    PLEASE READ:

    Planned surgery does not mean it is elective or can be put off for a while. It means the surgery was not medically necessary at an emergency level.

    Planned surgeries simply mean she received a diagnosis that allowed for her to take a short time to get things in order before undergoing surgery. That timeframe can be from 12 hours to a month.

    People need to ignore the “planned surgery” part of the statement because it is not indicative of the seriousness of whatever Kate is dealing with.

    • sparrow says:

      I’ve read your comment. I’ve said similar elsewhere and I’m with you. I have always understood planned surgery to be anything that doesn’t happen as an emergency, ie as soon as someone is rushed thru A&E doors. To me, planned can mean it happens the next day/s, perhaps while a team is put together or the situation is waited on for tests to come back. Or the procedure has been mooted by clinicians as a worst case scenario and a pathway put in place for the if and when. I have never believed Kate had a date in her diary for this. This wasn’t an elected surgery, such as a non urgent laparoscopy I’ve scheduled or my c sections because it’s dangerous for some epileptics to go into labour deliveries. To me she had an emergency and the “plan” was made thereafter or put into action between her and a team of specialists, who then proceeded with the surgery over the following days while she was kept comfortable.

    • roooth says:

      Doctors will also put off surgery to get an infection under control before operating. She could have had a course of antibiotics before drs felt comfortable operating on her

  38. Michelle says:

    Personally, my guess is she was early-stage pregnant and something went wrong, necessitating an emergency stillborn c-section or D and C. The long recovery would then be for grieving.

    • kelleybelle says:

      She and Will can barely stand each other. They probably haven’t done it in years.

    • Jaded says:

      It would have had to be a turkey baster pregnancy and Willnot would never have done that.

    • Kingston says:

      Jeebus Christus! The stories people tell themselves!

      4 DAYS. FOUR DAYS. That was the length of the mourning period for betty after her husband died.

      The old queen, at 95 years old, lost her husband after 74 years of marriage. She was put back to work FOUR. DAYS. LATERT.

      During Covid.

    • WiththeAmerican says:

      Seriously? I’ve had a D and C, was at home the same day and no one gave me 5 months off to grieve. I sure Hope that’s not what this is about, because that is downright unacceptable level of privilege.

    • Heather says:

      What if she was pregnant and miscarried, but she and William hadn’t had sex in ages? That would certainly be a sticky situation….

      • Nic919 says:

        An abortion doesn’t take that long to recover.

        This is a mental health hold. Count 28 days for a section in the Uk from Dec 28 and that brings us to Friday. If she resurfaces this weekend then that’s exactly what took place.

  39. Guest says:

    Serious question what if the 14 days past and she still in hospital? I think the public should demand a sign of life.

  40. GR says:

    I think it’s cancer.
    Yes, I know the palace statement said it’s not known to be cancer but the way it’s worded as “not known” is strange.
    Kate is relatively young however a smoker.
    I think she had a physical exam in the new year and officials took action quickly once cancer was discovered.
    Her poor children, omg I feel very upset for them.
    William is so secretive, it’s him wanting only a handful of people to know at this point in time I suspect.

    • kelleybelle says:

      Nah, it’s either mental health-related or eating disorder-related. And I also think they’re milking whatever it is to distract from the resident sex offender.

    • ElizabethR says:

      I had a close call with a pre-cancerous growth at age 39. it happens, and the dr. said I was “two weeks later and it would have been cancer. We would never have screened you if you hadn’t hand symptoms, the (unrelated) symptoms that prompted the screening saved your life.” So, it does happen, and it’s happening to folks at younger and younger ages. (Colon cancer)

      • CN says:

        I have a feeling the surgery involved her reproductive organs therefore if it’s cancer, my guess is cervical and Kate’s lengthy time in hospital includes other treatment.
        The tone of this story has gone from ok, standard procedure, Kate will be ok and back by Easter to a health crisis. It’s bad.
        God bless you Kate and your children.

      • Nic919 says:

        My grandmother had cervical cancer back in the 80s and the surgery and hospitalization was not more than a week and that’s when they kept you in a hospital longer. And recovery is not months especially for a non physical job.

        They would say cancer if she had it. Especially something treatable. They had no issues saying it for Fergie and she is actually at some risk with both breast cancer and melanoma.

  41. Anonymous says:

    They went out of their way to share the medical information about a pregnant woman who was suffering from mental health at their hands and the rest of the RATS from the BM or king maker partners but now they can’t tell us what the medical crisis might be.

  42. brincalhona says:

    Perhaps Cat’s just got a fur ball from the cheaper wigs she’s been wearing since she became PoW.

  43. MJM says:

    A friend of mine is having a neuroendocrine tumor removed from her pancreas and the surgery is almost 24 hrs long. No word of a lie. She is expected to be in hospital for a shorter duration than Kate. Her 2 week stay just doesn’t add up.

  44. Ade says:

    Charles’ announcement was intended to distract and when speculation didn’t die down, Fergie jumped in as a favor to Charles.

    Kate’s entire image is that of the perfect specimen, any condition could challenge that standard, whether abdominal or not. I imagine if it’s truly what they say it is, Charles would prefer they come out with it so everyone moves on.

    • CancerTheCrab says:

      As someone with cancer, I’m going to guess she has cancer. The amount of time convalescing, the emergency around it, all of it correlates to cancer, most likely cancer that has spread. It is also something she wouldn’t want spread, because cancer is brutal, and very private – especially with children.

      This would be a major shock, and a genuine loss – it is also something she would want to keep private, because no mother needs their children to worry their Mum will die: The timeline fits with everything she will need, from trips in for chemo and radiation, to having a wig made. I know because I’m in the same bloody boat. Maybe it’s from smoking, or maybe it’s just the painful short stick, I don’t know. Whatever is going on, she deserves privacy, and I wish her health, because this is brutal.

      • Jk says:

        I’m so sorry to hear about your cancer! Wishing you all the best. I know it’s very hard. My mom had it and I looked after her. But then, I’m an adult and I can share her burden and giver her reassurance. I hope you are receiving plenty of support.

      • Esquire says:

        I’m sorry that you have cancer. It took someone very close to me just last year. The royal children have a nanny they are attached to, which must alleviate some of their fretting. But regardless, people without children also have loved ones, they are just as valuable to society in more ways than one. Illness is not easier for those without children.

  45. ShoppeGirlMN says:

    How long does it take to recover from a hysterectomy? Can you need an emergency hysterectomy?

    Just thinking out loud: anything intestinal or stomach related out have been hard to keep a secret. And I can’t imagine that it would sneak up on you.

    When I had a nervous breakdown years ago, I didn’t know in advance. One day I called my psych and told her I couldn’t do life anymore and needed to be hospitalized. I called my boss and told him I wasn’t coming in. 2 weeks in the hospital and 10 weeks at home because that’s what FMLA would allow.

    • Jk says:

      Abdominal hysterectomy: about three- 4 days in hospital and then two months recovery at home. But in my case, even after a year, I am not fully back to normal because of severe adhesions. Abdominal pains, partial obstruction of the intestine, nausea, exhaustion…

      I don’t know about emergency hysterectomies though. Perhaps if there was a lot of bleeding?

    • Teagirl says:

      Yes you can require an emergency hysterectomy usually if there is very heavy bleeding. I had wicked endometriosis that got so bad I was hemorrhaging. Had an MRI late on the Monday and an emergency hysterectomy early Wednesday. TBH they did say they would save what they could of my lady parts, but apparently it was a lost cause and they took the lot. After several years of debilitating pain and mess, it was all quite a relief. And it saved me a fortune in sanitary products!

      It’s quite a while ago when they didn’t do keyhole surgery so I’m scarred from hip to hip. No matter, it’s better than endometriosis.

  46. Rea says:

    Normally I am not a fan of the PR team of the royals however this time around they are doing something right and not announcing Kate’s diagnosis to the world. Whatever she is going through she deserves peace right now to recover and strength.

  47. ChattyCath says:

    28th December? Christmas is tough for ED sufferers. I think she may have an injury from forcible vomiting. A ruptured oesophagus and needed the subsequent trauma and infection to settle a bit before repair. It’s a serious condition and often fatal.

  48. Jk says:

    Kate tried to keep it a secret because she knew Camilla, whose hobby is to destroy other women, would leak to the press. No doubt Camilla will weaponise Kate’s mental and physical health and silence any whispers of abdication.