Palace appeals for calm over rumours surrounding Princess Kate's health
Kensington Palace has appealed for calm over swirling rumours surrounding the Princess of Wales ’ health.
The palace hit out at the “madness of social media” after weeks of often unkind and outlandish speculation over potential reasons as to why Kate was taking an extended period away from royal duties. Royal aides have been reluctant to give a "running commentary" on her condition or recovery from abdominal surgery on January 16.
Despite Kensington Palace announcing the future queen would step back from all official duties during a two week hospital stay and a period of convalescence at home until after Easter, Kate’s long-awaited return was plunged into chaos yesterday when the Army announced she would appear at a Trooping the Colour rehearsal in June. Tickets were offered for sale online for what would have been the princess’ first officially-announced public engagement since her surgery.
Hours later the Ministry of Defence was forced to remove from the website any mention of the princess’ involvement after news of the June 8 run through was not signed off by the palace. Royal officials were caught unaware by the announcement, leaving aides to insist they were solely responsible for confirming diary arrangements for the Prince and Princess of Wales.
Kate last took part in an official event on Christmas Day last year (Getty Images)A Kensington Palace spokesman said: “The timelines provided on the Princess’ hospital stay and planned return to royal duties were very clear from the outset. Nothing has changed.”
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The palace reiterated a previous statement given last week that “The princess continues to be doing well.” However, Prince William still remains on restricted duties, after only taking part in two official engagements last week and with only one planned for this Friday.
A palace source insisted he was continuing to work behind the scenes and would be taking planned meetings with Duchy of Cornwall representatives, also on Friday. The Prince of Wales also pulled out at the last minute of doing a reading at a Windsor Castle memorial for the King Constantine of Greece last Tuesday, citing "personal reasons", despite it being only half a mile from his Adelaide Cottage home where Kate is recovering.
The princess spent nearly two weeks at The London Clinic in Marylebone after undergoing “planned abdominal surgery” and was discharged on January 29. Kate hasn't taken part in any official royal engagements since Christmas Day when she was seen walking to and from church at Sandringham with other royals, but was seen on Monday for the first time since her procedure, out driving near her Windsor home with her mum, Carole Middleton.
Meanwhile, Kate 's uncle Gary Goldsmith - who is currently appearing on the new series of Celebrity Big Brother on ITV1 - has also hit out at wild conspiracy theories about the royal’s absence from the public eye - and says she needs "space" to recover.
Asked what he makes of wild conspiracy theories surrounding his niece’s health, Gary said: "I think they should leave her alone right now because there's a reason why they're [family] not talking about it and they are giving her a little bit of space.
“I just think it's fundamentally wrong and if it was happening to anybody else they would think to give them some space.
“But because Kate's Kate, she does such an amazing job, there’s always interest in her.
"She's the number one royal for a reason and I just beg people to give her some space.”
Mr Goldsmith insisted his family could “trust him” not to put his foot in it or be outspoken on the ITV show about the royals.
But asked by music mogul Louis Walsh if he had met Meghan Markle, wife of Prince Harry, controversial Gary blasted the Duchess of Sussex as a “stick in the spokes” of the royal family. He replied: “So I have an opinion Harry was really, really really loved when they were a threesome.”
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