Kate Middleton's Uncle Gives New Health Update

The Princess of Wales' uncle has given an update on his niece's health, saying she is receiving the "best care in the world" as she recovers from abdominal surgery.

Gary Goldsmith, 58, the younger brother of Kate's mother, Carole Middleton, was questioned about his niece during his appearance on the Celebrity Big Brother reality show in Britain. He has become a notorious figure in the media following a number of controversial incidents and a conviction in 2017 for assaulting his wife.

Goldsmith's participation in the primetime reality show has raised eyebrows among commentators and social media users, as the royal household continues to fiercely protect Kate's right to privacy during her time out of the public eye.

Despite this restrictive response from the palace on information relating to Kate and her recovery, Goldsmith referenced his royal connections when entering the Celebrity Big Brother house on Monday.

"I'm Gary Goldsmith, the uncle to the future queen of our country, Catherine Middleton, the current Princess of Wales," he told viewers in an introductory video clip played during the opening show.

On Wednesday, Goldsmith was questioned by a fellow housemate, former Love Island contestant Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu, over Kate's whereabouts, in a reference to the increasing conspiracy theories and speculation surrounding the princess during her absence from public life.

"Because she doesn't want to talk about that...the last thing I'm going to do is... there's kind of a code of etiquette...if its announced, I'll give you an opinion," he said, in an apparent attempt to maintain the established wall of privacy surrounding his niece.

However, when told by Cülcüloğlu that she hoped she was "OK," Goldsmith provided a reassuring update.

He responded: "Well I spoke to her mum, my sister... she's getting the best care in the world and all the family's done is put the wagons around and look after family first before anything else. But they put a statement out and just said we'll just take some time to recoup and see you in Easter."

Newsweek approached Kensington Palace via email for comment.

Goldsmith has made several other comments about members of the royal family during his time in the Celebrity Big Brother house so far.

He has described Kate and Prince William as the "savior of the royal family," said King Charles has done a "spectacular job," and expressed a belief that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle should be stripped of their titles.

A number of critics have spoken out about Goldsmith's inclusion in the reality show, with the most prominent outcry coming from domestic abuse charity Women's Aid.

On March 6, a spokesperson for the charity said that they were concerned what message platforming Goldsmith on the show would send viewers.

"The decision to include a man who has been charged, and pleaded guilty to, assaulting his wife, in the Celebrity Big Brother house demonstrates the lack of awareness that the production team has when it comes to survivors of domestic abuse," they said.

"The producers should consider how Gary Goldsmith's appearance will impact women who have survived domestic abuse and how they will feel watching him on TV every night.

"At Women's Aid we would urge the producers to consider how they approach this, as for many survivors of abuse, the inclusion of men convicted of abuse in entertainment programmes will already be a sign that these crimes are not taken seriously—the entertainment industry has to consider the impact on women of who they give a platform to and derive entertainment value from."

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.

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