The ongoing mystery surrounding the health and whereabouts of Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales, has taken a new turn as reports emerge that even her senior staffers are being kept in the dark about her post-surgery recovery process. The 42-year-old royal has been recovering from abdominal surgery behind closed doors since January, but according to palace insiders, she is nowhere to be seen, and her staff is growing increasingly concerned.
"A few of Kate's senior staffers haven't been able to see or speak to her, and they didn't even know about the surgery until it was announced, so it's caught them off guard," a source told Us Weekly. The widespread speculation caused by the release of Middleton's doctored family photo last week has only added fuel to the fire, with sleuths making claims not only about Middleton's health but also her whereabouts.
Kensington Palace insiders reveal that the mother of three has only just started opening up to her inner circle about the nature of her surgery, and that her staffers weren't aware of the operation until after it had taken place. "Only a few people know what's really going on, and they're tight-lipped," a source said. "It's confusing and causing some concern."
The source added that Middleton has only had a few visitors, including cancer-stricken King Charles III and his wife, Queen Camilla, but is otherwise covered by a "shroud of secrecy." A second source described the palace as being "very hush-hush" about Middleton's post-op recovery, noting that it was the princess's decision to keep the details of her surgery private.
"Kate's said she feels she's entitled to heal and recuperate without all of this frenzied speculation," an insider told Us Weekly. "Neither Kate nor William think her medical records should be for public consumption."
The insider added that while Middleton is trying not to pay attention to the rumors and gossip, it is still distressing for her, and Prince William is doing his best to shield her from the speculation.
Meanwhile, English radio and TV presenter Piers Morgan has weighed in on the controversy, suggesting that Kensington Palace may be trying to hide something more serious than initially thought. In an interview with Ok Magazine, Morgan questioned why Princess Kate, who is recovering from surgery, is attempting to handle her own "amateur" photo editing when the palace has staff to do it for her.
"On one level [the edited picture] could be trivial - she could be fine and doing well and tried to do something to correct the conspiracies and got it wrong - or it could be that they're hiding something," Morgan said, adding that he has been told "some stuff that, if even half of it is true, it's pretty alarming what is happening."
As the speculation continues to swirl, Prince William has been attending various royal engagements, including opening a youth center in London and honoring his late mother at the Diana Legacy Awards on Thursday night. During his speech at the awards ceremony, the Prince of Wales, 41, did not address the mounting speculation about his wife's health.
"This has been a stressful time for William and Kate, but they're made of tough stuff and are weathering through," a source told Us Weekly.
However, the Waleses find themselves under even more scrutiny this week as all photos previously issued by Kensington Palace are being placed under review by CNN. Additionally, France's AFP news agency has announced that Kensington Palace can no longer be deemed a "trusted source" of information.
As the mystery surrounding Kate Middleton's health and recovery deepens, the public and the media continue to speculate about what may be happening behind the palace walls. The lack of transparency and the growing concern among the princess's staff have only served to fuel the rumors and conspiracy theories, leaving many wondering what the truth really is.
