Jump directly to the content

PRINCE William has been seen visiting Kate Middleton in hospital following her abdominal surgery.

The doting Prince of Wales, 41, arrived at the London Clinic this afternoon to see his wife as she recovers from the planned procedure.

Prince William arriving at the clinic today
8
Prince William arriving at the clinic today
William has also stepped back from royal duties while he juggles caring for his wife and children
8
William has also stepped back from royal duties while he juggles caring for his wife and childrenCredit: AFP
Doting Prince William visited his wife in hospital today
8
Doting Prince William visited his wife in hospital todayCredit: Splash
Two officers stand outside the London Clinic as Kate recovers
8
Two officers stand outside the London Clinic as Kate recoversCredit: AFP

Kate, 42, was admitted on Tuesday for the successful planned procedure, but is expected to stay in the private London Clinic for 10-14 days before returning to her Adelaide Cottage home in Windsor.

She is said to be "doing well" but will spend up to three months away from royal duties.

William was seen driving an Audi e-Tron GT Carbon Vorsprung from the back entrance, followed by a Land Rover Discovery.

A short statement from Kensington Palace said: "The Prince has just left hospital after visiting his wife.”

It comes as the King is also preparing for a corrective procedure after being diagnosed with a benign enlarged prostate.

Queen Camilla was seen today after the news was revealed by the Palace - saying her husband the King was "fine" and "looking forward to getting back to work.

William, meanwhile, will also take time off and stepping back from all official duties for several weeks as he juggles looking after their children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis with caring for his wife.

A statement from the Palace read: "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 apologise 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."

The announcement came just 90 minutes before Buckingham Palace confirmed the King would also receive treatment in an unprecedented double royal health scare.

The 75-year-old monarch, who acceded to the throne 16 months ago, will be admitted to hospital next week.

He was said to be keen to go public with his condition to encourage other men who may be experiencing symptoms to get checked.

The King is staying at Birkhall in Aberdeenshire with the Queen but the Palace has not confirmed whether he will be treated in London or Scotland.

Queen Camilla revealed her husband the King is 'fine'
8
Queen Camilla revealed her husband the King is 'fine'Credit: PA
Camilla was visiting a gallery in Scotland today
8
Camilla was visiting a gallery in Scotland todayCredit: PA

The Queen, who was visiting the Aberdeen Art Gallery, was asked about the King by the Lord Provost.

She replied: “He’s fine, thank you very much. Looking forward to getting back to work."

Charles has also pointed to the tight bond the family has.

Kate also has a strong bond with her parents Carole and Michael Middleton and siblings Pippa Matthews and James Middleton.

The family, who live nearby in Berkshire, will be on hand to support her recovery.

The nature of the princess's condition has not been revealed although Kensington Palace confirmed it was not cancerous.

It is serious enough, however, for heir to the throne William to be postponing official duties while his wife is in hospital and in the immediate aftermath while she recuperates, devoting his time to his family.

The princess is not expected to return to public duties until after Easter based on current medical advice, Kensington Palace said.

William was looking after George, 10, Charlotte, 8, and five-year-old Louis on Wednesday evening.

The royal youngsters were at school all day and are yet to visit their mother in hospital.

There will now be no international travel for the prince and princess in the coming months.

Kate usually enjoys good health but was previously admitted to hospital while pregnant after suffering from hyperemesis gravidarum - severe morning sickness.

The London Clinic was chosen to care for Kate this time, rather than King Edward VII's Hospital which is usually the go-to establishment for royal medical matters and where she was admitted in 2012.

Like the rest of the royal family, the princess has had a busy, turbulent past couple of years, with the Platinum Jubilee and the late Queen's death in 2022, and the coronation in 2023, as well as adjusting to her new role as the Princess of Wales.

READ MORE SUN STORIES

The Waleses also faced the ongoing rift between William and his brother the Duke of Sussex, with Harry making controversial claims about Charles, Camilla, William and Kate in his Netflix documentary and memoir Spare.

The King had a series of meetings and events planned at Dumfries House in East Ayrshire on Thursday and Friday, which have been postponed on his doctor's advice.

Jump in internet searches for 'enlarged prostate' after King's revelation

THE KING'S revelation that he will receive treatment for an an "enlarged prostate" has led to a surge in searches on the NHS website.

The NHS website's prostate enlargement page received more than 11 times as many visits on Wednesday compared to Tuesday.

There were 16,410 visits to the page on Wednesday - an average of one visit every five seconds - compared to 1,414 visits on Tuesday, NHS England officials said.

Experts have said the King's desire to share his diagnosis of an enlarged prostate will lead to a rise in men with symptoms of the condition seeking help.

It is understood Charles, 75, was keen to share his diagnosis, in order to encourage other men who may be experiencing symptoms to get checked in line with health advice.

One in every three men over the age of 50 will have symptoms of an enlarged prostate including needing to visit the toilet more frequently, with more urgency and have difficulty emptying their bladder.

Ian Eardley, consultant urological surgeon in Leeds and national clinical director for NHS England, told the PA news agency on Wednesday that the condition becomes more common with age and will affect up to four in five men aged 75.

"It's very, very common, at that age you would expect upwards of 70% to 80% of men to have an enlarged prostate," he said.

"About half of them will have symptoms, and broadly speaking about half of them will become bothered to some extent by those symptoms.

"To some extent it is an inevitable part of ageing for just about all men."

Asked about whether the announcement would lead to more people seeking help, Mr Eardley said: "The nature of these things if it becomes public knowledge it will lead to more men seeking help. That's a good thing."

He said that prostate problems have traditionally had a "perception of being something you don't want to talk about" and "actually to be able to talk about it is a good thing, not least because the whole stack of things that we can do".

A statement was released by the palace on X
8
A statement was released by the palace on X
Buckingham Palace also announced the King would need an operation on an enlarged prostate
8
Buckingham Palace also announced the King would need an operation on an enlarged prostateCredit: Getty
Topics