Prince William stepped out to visit Princess Kate in hospital as she recovers post-surgery

On Thursday, Prince William was photographed on his way to visit his wife Princess Kate in the hospital where she is currently recovering, The London Clinic in the Marylebone area of the capital.

As you may already know, the Princess of Wales was admitted to hospital earlier this week for what the Palace referred to as a "planned abdominal surgery," though they did not elaborate on the exact condition the Princess was being treated for in order to protect her privacy.

A statement issued by Kensington Palace on Wednesday read in part: "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 went on to stress how important privacy is to Kate, in particular when it comes to protecting her children.

When this news was posted on Instagram, well wishes poured in from the likes of Fearne Cotton and Giovanna Fletcher, as well as thousands of royal fans around the world.

As for Prince William, he is expected to postpone some of his upcoming royal engagements, including two upcoming trips abroad, to support his wife and their three children, Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5, as reported by People.

While we don't know what condition lead to Kate's surgery and hospital stay, The Sun has reported that it is "not related to cancer."

Meanwhile, and while of course no hospital stay is ever pleasant, royal fans may take comfort in the knowledge that Kate is being looked after in a private hospital full of amenities to make her feel more comfortable.

One former patient of The London Clinic spoke to Hello! about his experience with the establishment, and had nothing but praise for it.

"If asked how I would rate my experience being a patient at The London Clinic, I can honestly say it was faultless," Chris Lawrence said.

"From the doorman through to the reception and then on to the nursing and surgical staff, not forgetting the catering personnel, everyone was patient, focused, polite, friendly and filled me with confidence in their respective abilities."

Wishing the Princess a swift recovery.