Prince William will return to public duties on Wednesday this week, Kensington Palace said Monday, an announcement that suggests Princess Kate Middleton’s recovery from abdominal surgery is going well.
William has been off work since his wife was admitted to the hospital on Jan. 15, devoting his time since then to supporting his wife and children.
Kate, 42, spent two weeks in hospital after undergoing abdominal surgery and has now been back at home for a week, continuing her recovery, which is expected to take several months.
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When Kate was released from the hospital the couple said in a statement: “The Prince and Princess wish to say a huge thank you to the entire team at The London Clinic, especially the dedicated nursing staff, for the care they have provided. The Wales family continues to be grateful for the well wishes they have received from around the world.”
The palace was subsequently forced to deny claims on Spanish TV that Kate’s life was in “great danger” and that she was put into an induced coma.
William has been splitting childcare duties and school runs with the couple’s long-term trusted nanny, Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo. People magazine said William is also being supported by Kate’s family. Kate’s parents, Mike and Carole Middleton and siblings Pippa and James, all live less than an hour away and “will be there to lend support,” the outlet said.
“Her parents are an enduring factor in the upbringing of their grandchildren,” a palace insider was quoted as saying, “And they will be a reassuring presence when she goes back to Windsor to recuperate.”
Multiple outlets reported that William will make his high profile return to public life on Wednesday, carrying out a ceremony awarding New Year’s Honors, which recognize people who have made outstanding contributions to national life or chalked up notable achievements, at Windsor Castle in the afternoon before making his way to London for an evening fundraising gala in aid of the London Air Ambulance, a charity of which he has been patron since 2020.
The cause is close to William’s heart as he piloted an air ambulance professionally in East Anglia for several years after he was first married.
By coincidence, King Charles was also admitted to the same hospital at the same time as Kate for treatment for an enlarged prostate. His recovery seems to be progressing well; he was photographed walking to church on Sunday with his wife, Queen Camilla.
