Kate Middleton did not have her children visit her at The London Clinic in the 13 days that she was there to recover from abdominal surgery for a good reason, according to royal biographer Ingrid Seward.
The Princess of Wales had her "planned abdominal surgery" on Jan. 16 and was visited by her husband, Prince William, two days after the operation. He was seen leaving the hospital by the back entrance for what could have only been a low-key, private visit.
He was not accompanied by their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. They were not able to see their mother at the hospital for the very same reason that their father left by the back entrance—for privacy.
According to Seward, author of the 2020 book "Prince Philip Revealed," Kate Middleton did not want her condition to attract any more curiosity than it already has. Having her children visit her at the hospital would only gain more attention.
She told People magazine in this week's issue: "I don't think she wanted to make more of a big thing of it than it already was. They'll be rallying 'round in their own way and helping to look after her."
Instead, the 42-year-old reportedly kept in touch with her children via FaceTime, which she and Prince William do on a regular basis when they are away from them on royal tours. Moreover, The London Clinic generally does not allow children to visit without the hospital's permission for their safety as well as for the safety of the patients, to keep infection at bay.
"Children: for the safety of our patients, we do not permit any children or babies to visit. Any special requests for children to visit must be approved by the Matrons. If approved, children must be accompanied by a responsible adult who will look after them throughout the visit," reads the guidelines posted on The London Clinic's website.
A former patient, who also had abdominal surgery at the hospital last year in June, recalled the "scary" experience when his son came to visit him. He told the magazine: "One day my son turned up with my wife as we didn't know the rule, and they kindly made an exception and let him come up to see me, but I think he found it really scary so I'm not sure I would do that again."
Kate Middleton was discharged from the hospital on Monday, Jan. 30. Kensington Palace in a statement announced that she is "making good progress" adding that the Prince and Princess of Wales are thankful for the great care she received from the medical team especially from the dedicated nurses.
She is now recuperating privately at home in Adelaide Cottage, on the grounds of Windsor. Seward said: "I'm sure she's utterly exhausted, but she'll recover well."
The palace has not disclosed any more details about the Princess of Wales' condition or why she had abdominal surgery. Prince William has also remained mum about his wife's health. But the palace has since assured that her condition is not cancer related.
The mum-of-three has a long road to recovery. She has been advised to recuperate for three months and is not expected to resume with her royal duties until after Easter. Prince William has also cancelled some of his engagements so he can attend to his wife's needs. A close family friend shared that the family does not have "a huge private staff" at home, so he would have to be "really hands-on". Former royal butler to King Charles III, Grant Harrold, likewise said that the Prince of Wales will wait "hand and foot" on Kate Middleton to ensure her speedy recovery.
