Prince William Will Postpone Royal Duties, Including Two Planned International Trips, to Support Princess Kate During Health Issue

(Image credit: Getty)

published 17 January 2024

In addition to both the Princess of Wales and the King undergoing medical procedures and, as such, pausing royal duties, the Prince of Wales, too, will be pausing work to help care for his wife, People reports.

Kensington Palace announced today that Kate was “admitted to hospital yesterday [Tuesday, January 16] for planned abdominal surgery.” The Palace added that “The surgery was successful, and it is expected that she will remain in hospital for 10 to 14 days, before returning home to continue her recovery.” Kate is not expected to return to work until April at the earliest. The statement added that Kate apologized for having to postpone upcoming engagements and that “She looks forward to reinstating as many [engagements] as possible, as soon as possible.”

Meanwhile, on the heels of this announcement, news broke that King Charles will undergo hospital treatment for an enlarged prostate, a “corrective procedure” that is benign, Buckingham Palace said in a statement. “In common with thousands of men each year, The King has sought treatment for an enlarged prostate,” the statement read. “His Majesty’s condition is benign, and he will attend hospital next week for a corrective procedure.” The statement added that Charles will then go into recovery and his “public engagements will be postponed for a short period of recuperation.”

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All of that said, People reports that “William is expected to postpone some engagements to be by Kate’s side and support their family.” (William and Kate are parents to Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.) The outlet continued that “It’s understood that two upcoming planned international trips have been postponed,” including a trip to Italy William and Kate were reported to be undertaking this spring.

Though we haven’t publicly seen Kate since Christmas Day, William has returned to work in the new year. George, Charlotte, and Louis returned to school at Lambrook the week of January 8, and William undertook a royal engagement on January 11, six days before news broke about his wife’s health.

It’s currently unclear when William will return to royal duties.

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Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal, a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading, which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more.