The Palace issues Kate Middleton statement as 'wild conspiracy theories' circulate online

In January, the Palace announced that Kate Middleton underwent abdominal surgery and would not be returning to work until after Easter. The Princess of Wales is taking time to rest and recover at her home in Windsor, where her three children are reportedly 'doting' on their mother, and when the surgery was announced last month Kate requested privacy. In the statement, a spokesperson wrote: "[Kate] 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."

The Palace also noted that they will only be offering public updates 'when there is significant new information to share', but following Prince William's decision to pull out of a royal engagement this week speculation about the Princess' condition and recovery has intensified online. Royal experts have claimed that the 'personal matter' has 'set off alarm bells' and a number of reports have been refuted by the Palace, including claims that Kate had been in a coma.

In the initial statement, the Palace shared that Kate would recover until the beginning of April under the advice of medical professionals. However, as social media users have continued to question her health and her whereabouts, the Palace made the decision to address the 'wild conspiracy theories'.

A spokesperson for the Prince and Princess of Wales told The Sun: "We were very clear from the outset that the Princess of Wales was out until after Easter and Kensington Palace would only be providing updates when something was significant."

It comes as King Charles, who is currently receiving treatment following a cancer diagnosis, has returned to work. He was pictured with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at Buckingham Palace last week and will continue to attend the weekly meeting, although he will not be attending public-facing engagements until further notice.