Kate Middleton enters the hospital for abdominal surgery

Princess Kate, a key figure in the British royal family, was admitted to hospital in London after abdominal surgery, which was successful but forced her to suspend her commitments until the end of March.

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Kensington Palace announced in a statement, on Wednesday, that the wife of the heir to the throne, William, “entered the London clinic yesterday (Tuesday) to undergo a scheduled abdominal surgery.”

He added, “The operation was successful and she is expected to remain in the hospital for a period ranging from 10 to 14 days.”

“Based on current medical advice, she is unlikely to return to her public duties before Easter,” Kensington Palace warned on March 31.

Kate, who celebrated her 42nd birthday on January 9, is loved by Brits. She is one of the most popular royals, behind William but well ahead of King Charles III and his wife Queen Camilla, according to opinion polls.

In the press release, she apologized for “postponing her future commitments.” “She hopes to be able to recover as many as possible, as quickly as possible,” the letter said.

The palace explained that it would “provide updates” on the Princess of Wales's health “only when there is important new information that will be made public.”

The princess “hopes that the public will understand her desire to maintain as much normalcy as possible for her children and her desire for her personal medical information to remain confidential,” the statement said.

No indication was given about the reasons for hospitalization, but according to many British media outlets, Kate, whose last public appearance dates back to Christmas, does not suffer from cancer.

According to the Times, her husband, William, has also abandoned many of his public commitments to “stay by her side as much as possible.” The Prince of Wales could therefore cancel a visit to Rome.

The couple, who have three children, George, Charlotte and Louis, reside in a private estate in Windsor, west of London.

Kate and William married in 2011 at Westminster Abbey. Smiling, elegant and charming, she has established herself over the years as a key figure in the British royal family.

The British press considers her a model member of the monarchy, in stark contrast to her sister-in-law, Meghan Markle, who is married to Harry, William's younger brother.

Nothing was meant for Kate, a commoner, in this royal life. His mother, a flight attendant, and his father, an air traffic controller, made their fortune by starting a party supplies company.

But her meeting with William at Scotland's University of St Andrews, which she joined in 2001 to study art history, decided otherwise.