Everything the palace has said about the Princess of Wales' time away from the public eye
By Maddison Leach|
Where is Kate Middleton??
It's the question on millions of lips since Catherine, the Princess of Wales underwent surgery last month.
The 42-year-old royal was last seen on Christmas Day, a few weeks before a "planned abdominal surgery" on January 16.
While Kensington Palace made it clear from the start that Catherine would be taking several months off to recover, her time away from public life has ignited a bonfire of rumours.
READ MORE: Palace releases statement after Kate speculation
So what has the palace actually said about Catherine in the last few weeks, why are there so many conspiracy theories, and what are the royals doing about it?
Read on for everything we know.
Palace statements?
Kensington Palace released the first statement about the Princess of Wales' health on January 17, announcing she had undergone surgery and would take time off to recover.
"Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales was admitted to hospital yesterday for planned abdominal surgery," it read.
"The surgery was successful and it is expected that she will remain in hospital for ten to fourteen days, before returning home to continue her recovery."
All of Catherine's upcoming engagements were postponed as she was "unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter".
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Updates on her health would only be provided "when there is significant new information to share", according to the palace.
"The Princess of Wales appreciates the interest this statement will generate. She hopes that the public will understand her desire to maintain as much normality as possible; and her wish that her personal medical information remains private," it added.
Catherine hadn't been seen in public for over two weeks and her lengthy recovery time alarmed some members of the public.
Natalie Oliveri, 9honey's royal reporter, said "notoriously private" Catherine would have understood "the importance of revealing this news to the public" given she'd be away for so long.
Kensington Palace kept mum about the princess' condition for well over a month, until tabloid speculation about her condition and whereabouts got out of control.
READ MORE: Harry and Meghan involved in 'reckless' chase, NYPD confirms?
On February 29, a palace representative told the New York Post: ?"Kensington Palace made it clear in January the timelines of the princess' recovery and we'd only be providing significant updates. That guidance stands."
The Sun received a similar statement, reading: "We were very clear from the outset that the Princess of Wales was out until after Easter and Kensington Palace would only be providing updates when something was significant."?
Speculation and conspiracy theories
There was speculation about Catherine's absence from public royal duties in the first weeks of January 2024, even before her surgery was made public.
"There has been some criticism online about her absence from official duties this year," Oliveri told 9honey on January 18, with some critics calling Catherine "work shy."
Rumours flew when Kensington Palace opted not to reveal what kind of "abdominal surgery" the princess had undergone, especially with such a long recovery period.
READ MORE: Lady Gabriella and Thomas Kingston 'happy' days before shock death
Catherine spent two weeks in hospital and is taking three months to recover at home, sparking conspiracy theories about her undergoing cosmetic surgery.
Royal Historian Kelly Swaby told 9honey Kensington Palace should have expected the rumours.
"I do think somebody maybe should have thought through their statement a bit more ... because that did spur rumour and speculation, it didn't help things," she said.
This week, The Mirror's royal editor Russell Myers told Today hosts Sarah Abo and Karl Stefanovic that "everyone's got to calm down" and "get off Twitter".
"You're commenting on a woman in her middle ages, who has gone through a health scare, has had to take a bit of time off work, and certainly deserves the privacy," he said.
Royals left in a tricky position
All of this has put the royal family in a tricky position, especially with King Charles out of action as he undergoes cancer treatment.
His Majesty stepped back from royal duties on February 5, leaving other senior royals to carry out many duties in his stead.
Usually, the Prince and Princess of Wales would usually be the first to step up but that's not possible with Catherine still recovering at home.
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Instead, Prince William has had to support Queen Camilla without his wife, meaning less time at home with Catherine and their three children - Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, eight, and Prince Louis, five - while she recovers.
He's also keenly aware of the questions about and concern for his wife, though he's been careful to keep his own comments to a minimum.
William touched on Catherine and the King's health at a gala dinner for London's Air Ambulance Charity on February 7.
"I'd like to take this opportunity to say thank you for the kind messages of support for Catherine and for my father, especially in recent days," he said.
WATCH: Prince William references family health issues ?at gala event
This week, 94-year-old Holocaust survivor Renee Salt told William she "missed" his wife as he visited a London synagogue solo.
"I'm sure that if your wife would've been well, she would've been here," Salt told him. "I miss her so much. Give her my best wishes, please."
With more public events on the horizon for William and Easter still weeks away, he can expect to face more moments like this in the coming days.
