Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Kate Middleton’s health history after Prince William misses memorial service

The royal family are facing a string of health battles amid Thomas Kingston’s sudden death

Lydia Patrick
Saturday 02 March 2024 09:03 GMT
Comments
Queen Camilla attends memorial service but William absent due to personal matter

Prince William missed a memorial for his godfather the late King Constantine sparking concerns for Kate Middleton’s health.

Constantine died at the age of 82 in January last year, decades after being toppled from the throne in a military coup.

William, 41, called the Greek royal family to let them know he was unable to attend, and Crown Prince Pavlos stood in for the British heir to the throne who was due to give a Bible reading.

Kate Middleton underwent abdominal surgery recently (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

The palace reported the Prince of Wales missed the memorial service due to a personal matter, however, they did not elaborate further.

In January, the Princess of Wales, 42, entered the London Clinic to have abdominal surgery for an unspecified condition.

The exact details of the princess’s condition have not been revealed but the Palace said previously it was not cancer-related, and that Kate wished her personal medical information to remain private.

William pulled out of attending a memorial service event for unknown reasons (2023 Getty Images)

During the Duchess of Cambridge’s three pregnancies, she suffered with hyperemesis gravidarum, a condition which causes severe vomiting.

To overcome the extreme sickness, she revealed in a podcast Happy Mum, Happy Baby, she resorted to hypnobirthing techniques of mindfulness and meditation.

In the 2020 podcast, the Princess told the host Giovanna Fletcher: “I’m not going to say that William was standing there sort of, chanting sweet nothings at me.

“He definitely wasn’t. I didn’t even ask him about it, but it was just something I wanted to do for myself.

“I saw the power of it really, the meditation and the deep breathing and things like that, that they teach you in hypnobirthing, when I was really sick, and actually I realised that this was something I could take control of, I suppose, during labour. It was hugely powerful.”

Kate is said to be doing well following her treatment (Getty Images)

The Princess of Wales is said to be doing well as she recovers from the procedure however she will not return to official duties until after Easter.

Royal Correspondent Michael Cole told GB News “I think it is worrying... It has been made clear from an unnamed source that the reason for him pulling out... has nothing to do with Kate. We do not know, I think it is unusual at the last minute.”

Kate will be under the careful watch of royal doctors and also benefit from the London Clinic’s aftercare, with dedicated physiotherapists on hand with a personalised plan and a video check-up at home with a nurse specialist on offer.

NHS advice about recovering from abdominal surgery says that, after a major operation with a large incision, it takes two to three months to be able to move around comfortably.

But this will be quicker if the procedure was keyhole surgery.

It comes as Thomas Kingston, the husband of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent’s daughter Lady Gabriella Kingston, died suddenly at the age of 45, Buckingham Palace announced yesterday.

Thomas Kingston smiles lovingly at Lady Gabriella Windsor in resurfaced wedding video following his sudden death (PA)

Lady Gabriella paid tribute to her financier husband in a joint statement with his family, describing him as an “exceptional man who lit up the lives of all who knew him”. They described his death as a “great shock to the whole family”.

The King and Queen sent their “most heartfelt thoughts and prayers” to Lady Gabriella, who is known as Ella.

King Charles also missed King Constantine’s memorial service and he is currently undergoing treatment for an undisclosed form of cancer

The King, who is being treated for cancer, will miss the service at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, in honour of his close friend and second cousin Constantine II, the former ruler and last king of Greece.

The King has reportedly sought spiritual advice from his friend Archimandrite Ephraim, Abbot of the Greek Orthodox Vatopedi monastery on Mount Athos.

Abbot Ephraim is said to have told Greek media outlets: “Yes, he has been in contact since the diagnosis and I believe he’ll overcome it. Charles has a spiritual sophistication, a spiritual life.”

Charles, 75, who was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer just over a fortnight ago, is not carrying out public duties while he has treatment.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in