Kate Middleton Has Had Abdominal Surgery, Kensington Palace Announces

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Kate Middleton Has Had Abdominal SurgeryMax Mumby/Indigo - Getty Images

The Princess of Wales has undergone abdominal surgery and will not return to royal duties for months, Kensington Palace said today. In a statement released at 2 p.m., the Palace said that the surgery was successful and she will remain in hospital for up to two weeks.

The statement said: "Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales was admitted to The London Clinic yesterday for planned abdominal surgery. 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. Based on the current medical advice, she is unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter."

The Palace continued, "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 for her children as possible; and her wish that her personal medical information remains private."

They concluded, "Kensington Palace will, therefore, only provide updates on Her Royal Highness’ progress when there is significant new information to share. The Princess of Wales wishes to apologise to all those concerned for the fact that she has to postpone her upcoming engagements. She looks forward to reinstating as many as possible, as soon as possible."

It is not unusual for members of the royal family to not disclose full details of any medical conditions. When Prince Philip had major abdominal surgery in 2013 the Palace described it only as "exploratory surgery." Other than relating to her pregnancies, this is the first time that the public has been informed of hospitalization or medical treatment for Kate, who turned 42 this month. Her condition is understood not to be cancerous.

Prince William will not undertake any official duties while his wife is in the hospital, and will postpone a number of engagements. Kate is expected to recover at home in Windsor.

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