Ever since she had a successful abdominal surgery on Tuesday of last week, the Princess of Wales has been quietly getting better in the hospital.
Furthermore, the media has not been permitted to set up shop outside the Marylebone hospital since Kensington Palace announced Catherine’s health news, despite the fact that reporters were permitted to report from outside The London Clinic on that day.
The Princess’s lengthy recovery and hospital stay have been shrouded in such secrecy.
This is not like the time reporters and photographers camped out for weeks outside St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington’s Lindo Wing, expecting to hear about the birth of the royal baby, when Catherine was expecting Prince George in 2013. It was even dubbed the ‘Great Kate Wait’ due to the media obsession.
After learning from this experience, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge decided to only invite the media to the hospital when Catherine was about to go into labour for the births of their two children, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
Emily Nash, the royal editor of HELLO!, explained that the press presence was planned. “When the royal children were born it was a moment for celebration and there was a controlled arrangement in place for the media to be outside the Lindo Wing to report on it,” she said.
Photo: © Getty Images
Additionally, Catherine’s hospital stay is being kept under wraps to safeguard not only her personal privacy but also the privacy of other patients at The London Clinic.
Emily clarified, saying, “This is a different situation than the royal children’s births, and you have to consider the privacy of other patients coming in and out for treatment as well as that of the Princess.” This was her explanation for the lack of media presence outside the hospital.
Catherine’s surgery was revealed by Kensington Palace last week, along with a request for privacy. “The Princess of Wales appreciates the interest this statement will generate,” the statement read in part. She hopes that the general public will respect her wish to keep her children’s lives as normal as possible and to keep her private medical records.
“Kensington Palace will, therefore, only provide updates on Her Royal Highness’ progress when there is significant new information to share.”
Photo: © Getty Images
It is anticipated that Catherine will stay at The London Clinic for a few more days before going back to her Windsor residence to complete her recovery. William has been holding down the fort at home, but she has been using FaceTime to stay in touch with her kids, George, Charlotte, and Louis.
To better care for his family and be by his wife’s side, the Prince has reduced his official engagements. He was seen coming to see Catherine at the hospital last week.
