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What’s really going on at the palace
Despite the Princess of Wales being seen for the first time, speculation about her health has continued to run wild
With Kate Middleton being a relatively active member of the royal family – completing 128 engagements in 2023 – the fact that she hadn’t been seen in public for months became a major topic of fascination. An outing with her mother Carole Middleton on 4 March was the first the public had seen of Kate since Christmas Day. Being driven around in Windsor, the Princess wore a pair of shades and a solemn expression as she reportedly did the school run with her mum.
Kensington Palace’s attempts to balance keeping the public informed whilst also protecting her privacy has simply fuelled speculation about what is wrong with her and why she is being kept away from the prying eyes of the press.
Previously, the last public appearance had been on 25 December 2023 when she and her husband Prince William – along with their three children George, ten, Charlotte, eight, and Louis, five – headed to Sandringham Church for the Christmas Day service. The first acknowledgement of Kate’s absence came on 17 January, when Kensington Palace released an official statement saying, “Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales was admitted to hospital yesterday for planned abdominal surgery… She is unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter.
“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.”
Contrary to its intention however, the statement did little to quiet the commentary surrounding Kate, 42, and as a result the palace was forced to issue two further statements updating the public on Kate’s whereabouts.
The first came on 29 January and informed people that, “The Princess of Wales has returned home to Windsor to continue her recovery from surgery. She is making good progress.” The second followed on 29 Feb and said, “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 Princess of Wales continues to be doing well.” Despite three informative statements from the usually private royals, there have been calls for the palace to be more open, something palace insider Jennie Bond tells Bella is completely unnecessary.
She explains, “Just because they are royal, it doesn’t mean their private lives and what is going on in their bodies should be a
