Prince William Visits Kate Middleton in Hospital

Prince William was pictured leaving the hospital where Kate Middleton had abdominal surgery after being at his wife's bedside.

The Prince of Wales let his police bodyguard take the passenger seat on Thursday as he drove away from The London Clinic, where Kate went under the knife on Tuesday. She is expected to need two weeks in the hospital, followed by months of recovering at home before she returns to royal duties sometime after Easter.

Kensington Palace said only that Kate had "planned abdominal surgery," considering the specifics of her health issue to be private.

Meanwhile, Prince William will juggle looking after his wife with taking care of their three children: Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

William was seen driving away in an electric Audi worth around $180,000 at lunchtime on Thursday in what is likely to become a regular journey for him over the coming two weeks.

The prince has also canceled a slew of public engagements to give him time to support the princess not only while she is in hospital but also for a period after she gets home, as the modern royal couple put health and family above work.

"Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales was admitted to The London Clinic yesterday for planned abdominal surgery," the Kensington Palace statement on Wednesday, January 17, read. "The surgery was successful and it is expected that she will remain in hospital for ten to fourteen days, before returning home to continue her recovery. Based on the current medical advice, she is unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter.

"The Princess of Wales appreciates the interest this statement will generate. She hopes that the public will understand her desire to maintain as much normality for her children as possible; and her wish that her personal medical information remains private.

"Kensington Palace will, therefore, only provide updates on Her Royal Highness' progress when there is significant new information to share. The Princess of Wales wishes to apologize to all those concerned for the fact that she has to postpone her upcoming engagements. She looks forward to reinstating as many as possible, as soon as possible."

Meanwhile, King Charles III is also expected to visit the hospital for a procedure on an enlarged prostate next week, Buckingham Palace confirmed Wednesday. He chose to reveal the specifics of his diagnosis in the hope it would enable other men with symptoms to get help.

Charles and Kate being in the hospital at the same time will bring the three most high-profile members of the family to a standstill at the same time.

The palace told Newsweek that Charles will be "wholly capable" of carrying out his constitutional duties, meaning there will be no need for any other family member to take over the reins.

Buckingham Palace said in a statement: "In common with thousands of men each year, The King has sought treatment for an enlarged prostate. His Majesty's condition is benign and he will attend hospital next week for a corrective procedure. The King's public engagements will be postponed for a short period of recuperation."

Jack Royston is Newsweek's chief royal correspondent based in London. You can find him on X, formerly Twitter, at @jack_royston 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 01/18/24, 9:54 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.