Royal insiders have claimed that Princess Kate, the Princess of Wales, is recovering well following abdominal surgery in January and is expected to return to official duties by Easter, just over two weeks away. The 42-year-old mother of three underwent the operation at The London Clinic in central London and has been absent from public engagements since then.
"The rumour mill - particularly on social media - has gotten out of control, but Kate is recovering well and she will be back by Easter. She just needs to be left in peace," a royal insider told Page Six, a celebrity news publication.
The update on Kate's health comes amidst a storm surrounding a family photograph released by Kensington Palace on Mother's Day. The image, taken by Prince William, 41, showed Kate with their three children - Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5. However, Kate publicly admitted to editing the photograph, leading to calls for the original, unedited version to be published.
In a statement, Kate apologized for the "confusion" caused by the digitally altered image, which prompted the world's biggest photo agencies to delete it from their libraries. "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," she wrote.
Despite the controversy, Kensington Palace has insisted that it will not be reissuing the unedited photograph. Sources have suggested that the scrutiny Kate faces could border on bullying, particularly as she recovers from major surgery, as reported by the Mirror. "It's an awful lot to be under all of this public scrutiny when you are recovering from major surgery," the insider told Page Six, emphasizing the need for the princess to be left in peace.
Jennie Bond, a former BBC royal correspondent, echoed these sentiments during an appearance on GB News earlier this week. "We are in danger of bullying a lady who is trying to recover from a very serious operation. I think of how she must be feeling this morning. Absolutely miserable, I think," Bond said. "Her Mother's Day was obviously ruined by this row. She was photographed yesterday in the car with William. From what we can see, she didn't look that happy, she must feel under intense pressure now whenever she's going to be seen in public."
Kensington Palace had previously stated that Kate would be unable to return to any royal duties until after Easter, following her surgery in January. A spokesperson for the palace recently reaffirmed this timeline, stating, "We were very clear from the outset that the Princess of Wales was out until after Easter and Kensington Palace would only be providing updates when something was significant."
Prince William has also quietly dispelled rumors regarding Kate's health, with a spokesperson for the Prince of Wales stating, "His focus is on his work and not on social media."
As Princess Kate continues her recovery, the royal family and their supporters are hoping for a swift and smooth return to public life for the beloved figure. The edited Mother's Day photo controversy has added an unexpected layer of scrutiny during an already challenging time, but insiders remain confident that Kate will bounce back and resume her important role within the monarchy by Easter.
