Prince William has cancelled some of his scheduled engagements so he could be there for his wife, Kate Middleton, as she recovers from abdominal surgery on Jan. 16.
The Princess of Wales has been discharged from The London Clinic, where she had the operation, and is now recuperating at home in Adelaide Cottage, in Windsor. Her husband will personally ensure her speedy recovery, according to former royal butler Grant Harrold.
Harrold, who worked for King Charles III for seven years, noted that the princess' absence at their family home surely left a void. The 42-year-old was hospitalised for 13 days. She was discharged on Monday, Jan. 29.
He said that the Prince of Wales will no doubt be waiting on his wife "hand and foot" and will step up even more than he has already done, to take care of her.
"It will also be great for William, because when your partner or your loved one isn't home, it leaves a void," Harrold told the New York Post adding: "There won't be a huge team there on hand. It'll be her husband who'll mainly be doing that, helping her to get back onto her feet."
The former royal aide said of Prince William: "He's a very caring, very loving kind of character and I noticed that a lot when I spent time with them both back in the day." He said there is "no doubt that wouldn't have changed, William will make sure Kate is cared for and that she has a quick recovery."
Harrold noted that the fact that Kate Middleton is "back home, behind closed doors, it'll mean they're able to return to some sense of normality". He said that the sooner she recovers, the sooner the couple can resume with their public engagements.
"The sooner her recovery, I'm sure the sooner the pair will get back to carrying out their royal duties together, which is something that I think they enjoy. I think they'll be keen to get back to normal with it," he said.
The Mirror also cited an unnamed source who said that Prince William will resume with his duties "once the Princess of Wales' care and recovery is settled". The Princess of Wales is expected to return to her royal duties after Easter.
A representative for Kensington Palace said she is "making good progress" and that the Prince and Princess of Wales have sent their gratitude to the medical staff at The London Clinic, especially the dedicated nurses who took great care of her.
"The Wales family continues to be grateful for the well wishes they have received from around the world," the spokesperson said.
The last time Kate Middleton stepped out in public was with the royal family for the annual Christmas Walk to St. Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham. Prior to that, she hosted her third annual "Royal Carols: Together at Christmas" concert at Westminster Abbey on Dec. 8.
As for the future king, he was pictured leaving The London Clinic for a low-key visit two days after his wife's surgery. Their children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, reportedly did not see their mother while she was in the hospital. But they kept in touch through FaceTime.
Meanwhile, royal correspondent Michael Cole shared his concern that Adelaide Cottage may not be "an absolutely ideal place" to help with Kate Middleton's recovery. He thinks that she will initially convalesce there because she wants to be close to her children.
But he remembered that a former tenant, Mrs. Rosemary Townsend, wrote about Adelaide Cottage in her memoir as being "the coldest place she'd ever encountered" in her whole life. Cole said Kate Middleton may find it as "not the best place to start feeling better, particularly in this quite cold winter".
