'Caught Off Guard': Kate Middleton's Senior Staffers Unable to See Princess, Blindsided by Surgery
March 15 2024, Published 10:04 a.m. ET
Kate Middleton kept her senior staffers and a majority of her close friends in the dark about her abdominal surgery — and has decided to continue to keep up a wall following her return home from the hospital, RadarOnline.com has learned.
Sources close to the situation revealed Middleton's staff were "caught off guard" by the news the Princess had been hospitalized in January.
The secrecy has continued since she returned home a few weeks later. An insider told Us Weekly, “A few of Kate’s senior staffers haven’t been able to see or speak to her, and they didn’t even know about the surgery until it was announced, so it’s caught them off guard."
The source added, "Kate has just recently started to open up to members of her inner circle about the nature of her operation and recovery process. Only a few people know what’s really going on, and they're tight-lipped."
Middleton has been photographed twice since returning home. Royal fans questioned the authenticity of the paparazzi photos and many believed they had been photoshopped.
The Princess of Wales attempted to calm the growing uproar over her not being seen in public by releasing a family photo on March 10.
The image featured Middleton sitting with her children Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis. The image was allegedly shot by William.
The photo was quickly called out for being badly photoshopped and a "kill notice" was issued by photo agencies.
Middleton quickly issued an apology for the situation. She said, "Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing. I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused. I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother’s Day. C."
Following her statement, Middleton has continued to be MIA from public life — causing several conspiracy theories to form online.
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A royal source told Us Weekly about the situation, "It’s confusing and causing some concern."
As RadarOnline.com previously reported, a bombshell report from The National Enquirer claimed Middleton is attempting to quit her royal duties due to the intense pressure over the last couple of years.