Kate Middleton’s surgery announcement reportedly came as a surprise to even her close friends

The Prince and Princess of Wales are two of the most talked-about people in the world, particularly this past month, pausing their royal duties due to Kate Middleton's planned abdominal surgery.

Kensington Palace made a rare statement last week to break the news, confirming that the princess had undergone "successful" surgery and that she would not be returning to royal duties for three months. 

"Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales was admitted to hospital yesterday for planned abdominal surgery," read the official statement from Kensington Palace. "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 statement continued: “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 unexpected statement surprised members of the public and royal commentators alike, but according to a report by People, it was also Kate's friends and some family members that were surprised by the news.

"Within their broader circle of family friends, there had been no indication that anything was wrong, and the carefully guarded news about Kate’s situation came as a surprise even to those who work closely with the royal family," the publication reported.

The royal family has not commented further.

We will continue to update this story.