Kate Middleton Proved She's Still A Perfect Princess Amid Her Abdominal Health Crisis

Although Catherine, Princess of Wales has been taking a break from public duties, she continues to fulfill her royal responsibilities behind the scenes. The royal statement on January 17 disclosed Kate's surgery. A second royal statement from Kensington Palace on January 29 revealed that the princess had left The London Clinic and was at home continuing the recovery process.  Even before she left the hospital, palace sources indicated Kate would work from home while she recuperated. 

On February 5, Kate Garraway, a host of "Good Morning Britain," revealed that she had recently received a condolence letter from the princess and William, Prince of Wales. Garraway's husband, Derek Draper, died in January after suffering a cardiac arrest the previous month. He had also been dealing with complications of COVID-19, which he contracted in March 2020. Garraway mentioned the letters she had received when she returned to work on the talk show, noting that Kate had gone the extra mile to support her family while they grieved. 

"Catherine and William sent a beautiful letter, and I know Catherine has been in hospital herself, so I really appreciated that," Garraway informed the program's audience (via the Daily Mail). However, she refrained from quoting from the letters, explaining that the royal family requested she keep the message private. "I just think it was lovely of them to reach out to me," Garraway added.

Before they wrote a thoughtful condolence letter to Kate Garraway, William and Catherine, Prince and Prince of Wales, had already connected with the TV host. Last June, William presented Garraway with an MBE for her contributions to journalism, broadcasting, and charity. In addition, in December 2021, Garraway participated in Kate's Christmas carol concert by delivering a reading at the event. Garraway planned to attend the 2023 Christmas event, but her husband's poor health prevented her from being there. 

Kate and William have sent caring notes expressing their sympathy on multiple occasions. In 2022, the couple sent a heartfelt message to their friend Dame Deborah James as she entered hospice care for bowel cancer and posted their condolences after James died a month later.  When Sarah Everard, a university student, was murdered in 2021 after she disappeared while walking home,  Kate wrote a poignant letter to her family. Although Kensington Palace explained that they wouldn't comment on the letter's specifics, a source described the general tone to the Mirror, commenting, "Kate's letter was deeply personal and heartfelt, she expressed her absolute sadness at what Sarah's family and loved ones are going through."

The royal family has experienced grief of their own in recent years, with the death of Queen Elizabeth in September 2022 and Prince Philip's death in April 2021. For the queen's funeral, Kate and William left handwritten missives on the late monarch's coffin.