Kate Middleton returns home from hospital after surgery as Wales family share new statement

The Princess of Wales has returned home after her "successful" abdominal surgery earlier this month, Kensington Palace revealed in a new statement.

Just under two weeks after she underwent planned abdominal surgery at The London Clinic, the Princess of Wales has returned home. Taking to social media to share this important update regarding the future Queen’s health, Kensington Palace described her progress as "good" as she continues her recovery at her and Prince William’s Adelaide Cottage home in Windsor.

"The Princess of Wales has returned home to Windsor to continue her recovery from surgery. She is making good progress," the statement declared. 

The Palace went on to express Prince William and Kate’s gratitude to not only everyone at The London Clinic for their expert care, but to fans whose messages have meant so much to them at this time.

Kensington Palace continued, "The Prince and Princess wish to say a huge thank you to the entire team at The London Clinic, especially the dedicated nursing staff, for the care they have provided. The Wales family continues to be grateful for the well wishes they have received from around the world."

This is the first update to be shared by the Palace since they announced that Kate was in hospital on 17th January. They explained that she had undergone "planned abdominal surgery" the day before. At the time it was stated that the senior royal was likely to remain in hospital for 10-14 days before she would return home to continue her recovery there.

The statement also revealed Kate’s desire to "maintain as much normality for her children as possible" and her wish that "her personal medical information remains private". In light of this, Kensington Palace asserted that they would only give updates when there was "significant new information" to share - as was shown to be the case with the news that Kate has returned home.

The exact nature of what surgery Kate had remains unknown and private and the original statement explained that based on "current medical advice" the Princess of Wales is unlikely to resume her royal duties until after Easter. The recent statement didn’t address this in any way and so it’s likely that this time frame remains the same.

This also means fans won’t get to see Kate alongside Prince William at various big occasions the couple usually attend together, including the Commonwealth Day service and the BAFTAs. Kate’s return home to Adelaide Cottage comes after King Charles is understood to have visited his daughter-in-law at The London Clinic on 26th January before receiving treatment for a "benign" prostate condition. 

The same day as the original statement was shared regarding Kate’s health, another was shared by Buckingham Palace explaining that His Majesty would have a “corrective procedure” after seeking treatment for an "enlarged prostate". After visiting him later on 26th January, Queen Camilla reportedly declared King Charles was "doing well" after his procedure.

The openness of both King Charles and the Princess of Wales regarding their health has attracted the attention and admiration of many, with some perceiving it as a sign of the monarchy’s evolving approach. The King is said to have hoped his candidness would help raise awareness and encourage others to go for check-ups.

As per the BBC, Buckingham Palace declared in a statement that His Majesty was "delighted" to learn that his own diagnosis was "having a positive impact on public health awareness".