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International Business Times UK
International Business Times UK
Entertainment
Tanya Diente

Prince William Stirs Concerns Over Kate Middleton's Health As He Pulls Out Of Event

Prince William thanked the public for their messages of support for Kate Middleton and King Charles III during his speech at London's Air Ambulance Charity gala on Feb. 7, 2024. Photo: The Prince and Princess of Wales/X (Credit: The Prince and Princess of Wales/X)

Prince William was scheduled to attend a Thanksgiving service at St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle on Tuesday, Feb. 27, but pulled out at the last minute due to an unspecified personal reason.

The Prince of Wales was due to give a reading at the memorial service for the late King Constantine II of Greece. But Kensington Palace, according to The Sun, had announced that he would not be able to make it due to a "personal matter".

The late King's son, Crown Prince Pavlos, did the reading instead. He was at the service with his wife, Crown Princess Marie Chantal. King Constantine II of Greece, who died last year on Jan. 10, was Prince William's godfather. He was the last king of Greece who ruled from 1964 to 1974.

Those who attended the memorial service included Queen Camilla, who was pictured beaming as she arrived at Windsor Castle. She welcomed royal guests and relatives from around Europe, and the Greek Royal Family at the service.

There were also other British senior and non-working royals in attendance. Princess Anne was there with her husband Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, as well as the Duke of Gloucester.

Mike and Zara Tindall were also present, as well as Prince Andrew with his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson and their daughters Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice, who was joined by her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi.

Queen Camilla was also joined by King Constantine II's widow, Her Majesty Queen Anne-Marie. The Thanksgiving service also brought the Spanish and Danish royal families to the U.K. King Felipe VI of Spain and his wife Queen Letizia and King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia of Spain were pictured at the memorial.

Likewise, Queen Noor of Jordan and Prince Kyril of Bulgaria were pictured arriving. These are just some of the many royal family members who attended the Thanksgiving service for King Constantine II.

As for Prince William, Kensington Palace did not elaborate on the reason for his absence. But his absence comes amid rumours that his wife, Kate Middleton, is in a serious medical condition. The Princess of Wales has been in recovery for over a month now since she underwent abdominal surgery on Jan. 16 at The London Clinic.

She is understood to be recuperating at their home at Adelaide Cottage in Windsor and is expected to resume with her royal duties after Easter. She has not been spotted in public ever since she joined the British royals for the annual Christmas Walk in Sandringham last year on Dec. 25.

The Princess of Wales was not even pictured leaving the hospital on Jan. 29. The lack of updates about her health from Kensington Palace has instead prompted several worrying speculations that range from issues with her marriage to Prince William, and the possibility that she could still be indisposed.

One person wrote on X: "Maybe his wife is seriously sick" and another commented: "I hope the reason he's not going is because he's too busy taking care of his wife."

The social media chatter is that there is something seriously wrong with her as an abdominal surgery would reportedly not normally require months of recovery. Royal watchers are waiting for any proof of life like a photo as some believe that she could be in a coma, as what Spanish journalist Concha Calleja previously claimed.

She said that a reliable royal aide informed her that the princess was put in an induced coma due to serious post-operative complications. She claimed the source spoke to her "in a completely off-the-record manner," saying that the princess "was in great danger" after the surgery and doctors had to save her life.

Calleja claimed: "They had to intubate her. There were serious complications that they didn't expect because the operation went well, but the postoperative period didn't go so well." Despite the speculations, Kensington Palace continues to assure the public that Kate Middleton is "doing well".

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