Kate Middleton has just made a major staff change amid her recovery

The Princess of Wales is recovering from "successful" abdominal surgery, with Kensington Palace announcing the news this month that she had returned home to Windsor after almost two weeks at the London Clinic private hospital.

"The Princess of Wales has returned home to Windsor to continue her recovery from surgery," read the most recent statement from Kensington Palace. "She is making good progress."

The statement continued: "The Prince and Princess wish to say a huge thank you to the entire team at The London Clinic, especially the dedicated nursing staff, for the care they have provided. The Wales family continues to be grateful for the well wishes they have received from around the world."

Now back in Windsor, the Princess of Wales is continuing her recovery surrounded by a solid support system of loved ones and of course Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis who are said to be pulling out all the stops to care for their mother.

And while the 42-year-old is predicted to do some light work in the coming months, based on the current medical advice, she is not expected to return to public duties until after Easter.

Perhaps this is why the Princess of Wales made a significant staffing change this week, hiring a new private secretary - her first for over a year.

Per the Times, Kensington Palace has reportedly confirmed that Lieutenant Colonel Tom White has been appointed as Kate Middleton's new private secretary - a familiar name, having worked as the late Queen's equerry until her death in 2022.

The royal family has not yet spoken publicly about the appointment, but with the Princess of Wales returning to official duties next month, it's sure to be a good time for Lieutenant Colonel Tom White to start.

"[The Princess of Wales] 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," read the original statement from Kensington Palace. "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."

We will continue to update this story.