Kate Middleton: Italian doctors operated on Princess of Wales at London Clinic, it is reported

Princess Kate was operated on by a team of top Italian doctors, it was been reported.

Italian magazine Gente and Bild in Germany have claimed that the Princess of Wales was under the care of a team of Italian doctors from the Gemelli Clinic in Rome for the abdominal surgery, which took place in January. Medics from the clinic have been charged with caring for the Pope, the head of the Catholic Church, for decades and have a stellar reputation.

What has happened to Kate Middleton?

Some mystery still surrounds the Princess’s health. She was admitted to the London Clinic on January 16 for “planned abdominal surgery”, Kensington Palace confirmed on January 17. No details were given about the surgery and at that stage the palace said she was due to stay in hospital for 10 to 14 days, and then resume royal duties at Easter after a period of recuperation.

She has not been seen in public since then - indeed, not since Christmas Day - other than unconfirmed sightings in her mother’s car and at a farm shop. A picture that was released for Mother’s Day, posed with her children, was pulled by several news agencies because it had been digitally manipulated.

In March, an investigation was launched over a data breach at the London Clinic amid allegations that staff had been accessing the Princess’s records without permission.

Then on Friday, March 22 a video was released showing Kate on a bench, revealing that she had been diagnosed with cancer and was receiving preventative treatment. In a pre-recorded message, she said that the surgery in January had been successful and it had initially been thought to be non-cancerous. However, tests after the operation detected cancer, she said. At this point, looking gaunter than usual, she confirmed that she had undergone “major surgery”, and added: “I had a fantastic team of doctors who took excellent care of me, for which I am very grateful.”

When will Kate Middleton be seen again in public?

Since then neither she nor her children with Prince William - George, Charlotte and Louis - have been seen in public although the Prince has been on royal engagements. A week ago the Prince said Kate was “doing well” in response to a question about her recovery.

While the royal family has its own team of doctors, it is possible that the Italian specialists were flown over for the operation. The Pope went to the Italian clinic in July 2021 and June 2023, firstly for an abdominal hernia and then to repair a burst scar on his abdominal wall. Bild says a London Clinic patient reported to them that “many foreign specialists actually practice at the private clinic in the Marylebone district. Such a specialist deployment would not be unusual there”. Bild said neither The Gemelli Clinic nor Buckingham Palace wanted to comment.