The Princess of Wales' latest health update revealed following her ...

The Prince of Wales and Princess of Wales attend a ceremonial welcome for The President and the First Lady of the Republic of Korea

The Princess of Wales underwent abdominal surgery on 17 January, followed by a 13-day stay at the London Clinic. She is now reportedly recovering at her family home, Adelaide Cottage. Many have noticed the decided lack of news emerging from Adelaide Cottage, which reached a peak yesterday as Prince William pulled out of the memorial service of his godfather, the late King Constantine of Greece.

However, a brief update was given by a palace aide at an event at Windsor Castle, who declared that ‘The Princess of Wales continues to be doing well.’ Indeed Prince William put his absence down to a ‘personal matter’, though no further details have emerged yet.

Some suspect that the tragic news of the ‘shock’ death of Lady Gabriella’s husband Thomas Kingston, which was announced by Buckingham Palace at 6pm on Tuesday, may be linked to Prince William’s non-attendance. However, royal sources have claimed that the two things were not connected.

The memorial was well attended by other royals, including Queen Camilla, Princess Anne, Zara and Mike Tindall, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie and even the disgraced Prince Andrew of York – who stepped down from his royal duties – and his former wife Sarah Ferguson. King Charles was not in attendance, which is no great surprise considering his ongoing treatment for cancer, which was officially announced on 5 February.

Kate Middleton and her youngest son, Prince Louis

Princess Anne and Queen Camilla attend a thanksgiving service for the life of King Constantine of the Hellenes, at St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle

Lady Gabriella was not at the memorial, given the recent tragic news of her husband's death. However, her mother and father, Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, were there to pay their respect to their late relative King Constantine of Greece. The event must have been particularly moving and troubling for them, given that their daughter Lady Gabriella’s wedding to the late Thomas Kingston was held at the very same chapel as the memorial: St George’s Chapel, Windsor.

Since King Charles’ diagnosis, several royals have been stepping up to more advanced duties within the family. Those include Princess Anne, Queen Camilla and Prince William, although Kate’s ongoing recovery has meant he is less present than he might otherwise have been.

Kate Middleton attends the opening of Evelina London's new children's day surgery unit in December 2023

One would expect Prince William to attend King Constantine’s memorial for several reasons. Firstly, King Constantine of Greece, who died last year, was Prince William’s godfather. Secondly, the importance of the event was clear, as royals from far and wide gathered to mark the life of the last King of Greece. Thirdly, the proximity to the Wales’ family home made Prince William’s absence all the more notable. The memorial was held at St George’s Chapel in Windsor, which is just a hop, skip and jump away from Adelaide Cottage, which has been home to Prince William, Princess Kate and their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis since 2022. As such, questions and concerns were raised as William was unable to pull himself away due to ‘personal matters.’

Many were relieved to hear the brief update from a royal aide, but an official statement from Buckingham Palace on Kate's health will no doubt be gratefully received by concerned followers.