27 January 2024 , 09:00
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When Kensington Palace announced last week that Kate had undergone "planned" surgery, millions of people were left reeling at the shock announcement.
The news came on 17 January and the Princess remains in the private London Clinic where she is recovering from what Kensington Palace has called a "planned abdominal surgery". The surgery was said to be a success, but few details were provided about what condition Kate is dealing with, except for the fact that it is non-cancerous.
In a statement released by Kensington Palace, they explained that Kate wants to "maintain as much normality for her children as possible" whilst she recovers from her surgery, and wants to keep her medical information strictly private. This, alongside decisions her husband William has made since her hospitalisation, indicates a firm message of what their priorities - a royal expert has claimed.
Jennie Bond - formerly the BBC's royal correspondent - explained to OK! Magazine that she believes William postponing his royal engagements whilst his wife recovers shows that his family is his clear priority over his royal duties.
Kate - who will not be engaging in official duties until Easter "based on the current medical advice" will be supported by William - who has also cancelled several planned engagements whilst Kate remains in hospital.
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Bond explains that this is entirely to be expected from the Waleses, who are said to be hands-on parents to their three children: George, 10, Charlotte, eight, and Louis, five.
"William choosing not to do engagements is completely in line with their view that they make the family the most important thing as much as they possibly can," said Bond.
"They prioritise their family life, and I always applaud them for doing that. This is a time when the kids are going to need their dad more than ever, with their mum in hospital, so he's going to be there to reassure them."
Kate, in particular, regularly undertakes royal engagements not too far from the family's Windsor home - likely to ensure that she can be present for her children's day-to-day activities like sports clubs and the school drop-off.
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