Kate Middleton was forced to deny Wednesday that she had cancer after Kensington Palace made the dramatic announcement that she’d undergone “planned abdominal surgery” and was expected to spend up to 14 days in the hospital recovering.
The palace later clarified that Kate’s condition was “non-cancerous.”
Prince William was understood to be by her side, having postponed a number of engagements to support his family. He will not perform any official duties while his wife is in the hospital, a source told The Daily Beast.
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They also said the couple were unlikely to undertake any international travel in the coming months.
In a statement issued shortly after 2 p.m. local time, Kensington Palace said that the mystery operation had been successful, but gave no further information about the nature of the procedure.
A statement said that she was expected to remain at the private London Clinic for “ten to fourteen days” and added, “Based on the current medical advice, she is unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter.”
The Palace said it would only give updates on the 42-year-old royal’s progress “when there is significant new information to share.”
“The Princess of Wales appreciates the interest this statement will generate,” the announcement read. “She hopes that the public will understand her desire to maintain as much normality for her children as possible; and her wish that her personal medical information remains private.”