Rumors About Kate Middleton's Health Crisis Draw Even More Suspicion

Catherine, Princess of Wales, is taking a break from royal duties as she recovers from surgery. The public found out on January 18, 2024, that she had been hospitalized the day before via an official Instagram statement from Kensington Palace. But what's particularly odd is that some of Kate's family and friends found out about the situation for the first time from this post, as well as some royal staff members, according to People. That adds to the list of things about Kate's surgery that just don't add up.

We would have thought those close to Kate and her family and those who work with them would have known about the reported "planned abdominal surgery" and they wouldn't have learned the news along with the rest of the world. Then again, we're definitely not 100% sure as to who knew what when, just that this appears to have been a very carefully guarded secret. There was certainly no indication during any of her recent public appearances, including the traditional royal walk to church on Christmas.

It's also potentially a bit odd that there were events on Kate's schedule that had to be canceled, per the statement from Kensington Palace. If the surgery was planned, and it was known that it would involve up to two weeks in the hospital and then additional weeks of recovery at home, why were any events scheduled for that time?

We have to admit, however, that, like it says in the Kensington Palace statement, Catherine, Princess of Wales, has every right to keep her medical issues private. Plus, we have no idea what conversations she's had with her doctors and her scheduling team. When she was booked for the engagements that had to be canceled, she may have had no idea that she'd be hospitalized at the time. But it certainly has people talking.

"Unfortunately, the suddenness of the announcement and the mystery shrouding the princess's condition have only served to fan the flames of speculation and gossip," Christopher Andersen, author of "The King: The Life of Charles III," told Fox News Digital. "It probably would have been better for the palace to simply describe the nature of Kate's surgery and get it over with."

And we don't know when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, found out about Kate's surgery — whether it was with the public or if they got details about it behind the scenes. Despite the rift between Harry and Meghan and the royal family, the two have apparently sent their well wishes to Kate, according to The Mirror. We join them in hoping Kate's recovery goes smoothly. We also hope she takes the time to fully recover and doesn't try to rush to get back to work.

As for why Catherine, Princess of Wales, decided to keep news of her surgery under wraps until after it happened, the major reason was shared in the official statement from Kensington Palace about the procedure: "[Kate Middleton] 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." A parent needing surgery is scary for a child of any age, and it makes sense that Kate wouldn't want the whole world to know what she's dealing with. 

An insider informed Us Weekly that the princess is recuperating well and confirmed that her husband William, Prince of Wales, brought their children to visit her in the hospital often. The source also noted that Kate "may disclose more information in due course," although the palace's statement claimed that further details would only be made public "when there is significant new information to share." 

Kate may decide to speak up about her surgery if she thinks news of her health could inspire others to get their concerns checked. For instance, the U.K.'s National Health Service reported that there was a whopping "1061% increase" in visits to an online resource on enlarged prostates following King Charles III's announcement about his surgery. Although staying in the hospital if you're a royal like Kate can actually be quite luxurious, no doubt she's ready to get home and continue recovering there.