LONDON — The Princess of Wales has been hospitalized after undergoing planned abdominal surgery and will remain at the private London Clinic for up to two weeks, Kensington Palace said Wednesday.

       Moments after news of Kate’s hospitalization was released, Buckingham Palace revealed that King Charles III would undergo a “corrective procedure” next week for an enlarged prostate. The palace said that the king’s condition was benign.

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       The palace said that the 75-year-old monarch has sought treatment for an enlarged prostate “in common with thousands of men each year.”

       The former Kate Middleton is expected to return to public duties after Easter. The 42-year-old future queen was admitted to The London Clinic on Tuesday.

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       “The Princess of Wales appreciates the interest this statement will generate,” Kensington Palace said. “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.”

       The palace didn’t offer further details, but confirmed that her condition was noncancerous. Though she has generally experienced good health, Kate was previously hospitalized while pregnant after suffering from severe morning sickness.

       The palace said that Kate, the wife of Prince William, wished to apologize for postponing her upcoming engagements.

       “She looks forward to reinstating as many as possible, as soon as possible,” the palace said.

       A royal by choice — not birth — Kate is the daughter of a flight attendant and a flight dispatcher. Born in Reading, England, on Jan. 9, 1982, Catherine Elizabeth Middleton grew up with a younger sister, Pippa, and a younger brother, James.

       The family is from a well-to-do area of Berkshire, west of London, and moved to Jordan when Kate was 2 years old because of her father’s work. They returned to England in 1986, and Kate attended the exclusive Marlborough College, where she was active in sports such as tennis.

       She first met Prince William, the elder son of the late Princess Diana and Charles, at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland.

       After Prince Harry and Meghan’s stormy departure to California in 2020, the Prince and Princess of Wales have solidified their position as being among the most popular members of the royal family. Kate, in particular, has remained a reliable royal in the public eye — the smiling mother of three who can comfort grieving parents at a children’s hospice or wow the nation by playing piano during a televised Christmas concert.

       She was among the royals who appeared at the annual Christmas Day service at Sandringham.

       Originally Published: Jan 17, 2024 at 8:58 am