Kate Middleton Health Update as Prince William Speaks Out

Prince William thanked young fans who presented him with flowers for Kate Middleton on Friday, as her continued absence from public life has sparked speculation in recent days.

"That's really kind of you, thank you so much," he told schoolchildren in Wales. "That's really kind; I will pass those on to Catherine."

William visited Wales to mark St. David's Day on March 1, one day after Kensington Palace maintained that Kate Middleton was doing well and that they would not be providing a "running commentary" on her recovery from abdominal surgery.

The Context

William undertook a number of engagements on Friday, marking Wales' national day. The prince would have typically been accompanied by his wife for these events, but due to her abdominal surgery in January, she is expected to be absent from royal duties until after Easter (March 31).

The reason for Kate's surgery has not been made public.

The princess was last seen in public on Christmas Day, and though Kensington Palace revealed that her January 16 surgery was "successful" and that she was "making good progress," there have been limited updates since then.

After William canceled an important appearance at his godfather's memorial service on Tuesday, citing a "personal reason," speculation over the princess' health and whereabouts escalated on social media.

On the same day, the palace briefed that Kate continued to be doing well, a position they maintained on Thursday, telling Newsweek: "As we have been clear since our initial statement in January, we shall not be providing a running commentary or providing daily updates."

What We Know

William's visit to Wales comes as he has resumed a skeleton schedule of public appearances since taking time off to care for Kate and the couple's three children: Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

During a visit to the Ysgol Yr Holl Saint-All Saint's School in Wrexham on Friday, William was presented with a bouquet for his wife and presents for his children. He told the group that he would pass them on and thanked them for their kindness.

In line with Kensington Palace's reluctance to provide updates on Kate's health and recovery, William, too, has been reserved when referencing his wife at events since her surgery.

Views

Over the past week, Kate's absence from the public eye and the palace's reticence in providing any detail about her condition has seen a spike in speculation both from commentators and social media users.

A number of posts about the princess labeling her as "missing," both satirical and serious, have gone viral across social media.

As this discourse has mounted, there has been discussion in the British media on how this could be mitigated or avoided, with several commentators suggesting a photograph of Kate or a statement in her own words could deflect any speculative attention.

Newsweek's chief royal correspondent, Jack Royston, told Sky News on February 22 that now might be time to reassure people everything is ok.

"[The Princess of Wales] is still recovering, we still haven't seen her, we still haven't seen a picture of her," he said.

"I am starting to wonder if it might be worth their while considering whether they could release something that had been taken at a calm private moment, just to reassure people that she is ok."

What's Next?

As Prince William has resumed a reduced schedule of official engagements, it is likely that he could continue to make small references to his wife in conversation with officials and well-wishers which will serve as unofficial reassurances she continues to do well.

With Kensington Palace's reiteration that their previous statements about Kate's health and recovery still stand, she will not be expected to return to public events for another month at least.

James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek's royal reporter, based in London. You can find him on X (formerly Twitter) at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.

Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.

Update 3/1/24, 10:20 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.

Update 3/1/24 10:48 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.