A Princess Shrouded in Secrecy: Not Even Her Closest Advisors Knew Kate Middleton Was Leaving for Surgery

Catherine, Princess of Wales, is back home and recuperating at Adelaide Cottage near Windsor Castle after a 13-day stay in a London hospital. Her Royal Highness' planned yet "serious" abdominal surgery on January 16, is still without a known cause, although a Kensington Palace spokesperson shared on Monday, January 29, that the future queen is "making good progress."

The rumor mill has been in full effect ever since her surgery was announced, which led the princess to withhold the exact cause of her condition that led to her going under the knife. This is in contrast to King Charles III, who shared information about his enlarged prostate and surgery to correct it to "inspire others" to discuss the ailment.

The abnormally long hospital stay and the need to recover at home for nearly three months has only added to the mystery. It is believed the princess did not allow her children to visit her at the London Clinic but did FaceTime with all three as much as she could.

The secrecy around the next Queen Consort's illness was reportedly so intense, that even her closest advisors and ladies-in-waiting had no idea she was headed for surgery. But royal insiders have come forward to suggest that Her Royal Highness will likely "speak out" about her sickness in the coming days.

The princess' decision to recuperate in the country setting of Adelaide Cottage and not within London at Kensington Palace is what some sources claim is a testament to her personality.

"But for a twist of fate and meeting William, friends often comment she’d likely have preferred a quieter countryside life," a Wales family insider spilled. "Family and bringing up her children is the most important thing to her."

Prince William and his princess, along with their kids, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, maintain a lavish apartment in Kensington Palace, where their office is based, Adelaide Cottage, Anmer Hall on the Sandringham Estate, as well as a country residence near Balmoral Castle in Scotland.

But despite living within opulent residences befitting their royal status, "Kate and William do the school run and make sure one of them picks up the kids," the source said.

Catherine, Princess of Wales is so dedicated to her role as a parent that criticism of being "work-shy Kate" is said to disappoint her greatly.

"The danger for them is that even though this is almost certainly motivated by prioritizing their home life, it has enabled their critics to paint them as lazy," royal author Gareth Russell shared with an outlet. "That reputation can take quite a bit of time to shirk off at the moment. Because of the difficulties the monarchy has had in the last few years, William and Catherine were very much expected to be the star players and to be the star attraction for positive publicity."

Page Six reported on the insider revelations.