Kate Middleton's Health - A Scar, Injured Fingers, and Times She's Been Hospitalized

• Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales, announced in September 2017 that she was expecting baby No.3.
• She sadly suffered from dreadful morning sickness, just like during her first and second pregnancies.
• The Princess has had medical conditions several times, leaving her with a scar, injured fingers, and needing surgery for her stomach.

On September 4, 2017, Kensington Palace announced that Kate Middleton was expecting her third child. However, because of the dire morning sickness, she was freed from royal engagements and advised against having more children.

The palace announced that her child was due in the spring of 2018. The statement, which was released on X, formerly Twitter, stated that members of the Royal Family were thrilled by the news.

Princess Kate experienced morning sickness just like in her first two pregnancies. On that day, the palace released her from her royal duties at the Homsey Road Children's Centre in London. She was then cared for at Kensington Palace.

Kate was only three months pregnant at the time, but the palace made the announcement early because of her illness. The last time she was cared for at home in Apartment 1A of the palace, she was pregnant with her daughter, Princess Charlotte.

In September 2014, during her pregnancy with Charlotte, Kate suffered from Hyperemesis Gravidarum so badly that she couldn't accompany her husband to Oxford to open a new university and had to pull out at the last minute.

The Princess of Wales eventually gave birth to her second son, Prince Louis, on April 23, 2018. The young royal was born on St. George's Day – England's national day. Kate and her husband announced the boy's birth on their joint Instagram account.

They revealed that he was born at 11:01 weighing eight pounds seven ounces with his father present for the birth. Surprisingly, the Princess of Wales didn't take long to recover from the birth.

Hours after Giving Birth Kate Was Already Out & About

Several hours after labor, Princess Kate was already spotted on the porch of the hospital where she gave birth, waving to the crowd gathered there. The royal was dressed for the occasion in a red and white collared dress, wearing heels and makeup.

Kate was pictured side-by-side and in conversation with her husband, Prince William. However, it was unclear what the couple talked about, but a lip-reading expert decoded their exchange. The royal allegedly appeared to be slightly concerned about her newborn.

Several minutes after the Prince of Wales asked his wife whether she was okay, the Princess had a worrisome look and answered him: "It is a bit windy, eh? He might get cold. Let's go now," so off they went.

The mother of three might've been unsettled because of the windy weather, but the main question was why had she left the hospital earlier than usual. Kate left the hospital just seven hours after giving birth.

Experts revealed it could be because the royal was not the only woman giving birth that day. Other women could have been made uncomfortable because of the crowd and paparazzi lurking around the hospital.

For instance, some fans camped near its doors for a day before she gave birth. One royal superfan, Terry Hutt, was there for all the Wales' children's births and stood opposite the now-famous doors of the private Lindo Wing of St. Mary's Hospital in London.

In another event, an unidentified couple with a newborn was greeted by media cameras waiting for the royal baby's debut. They were not Kate nor William but merely ordinary people. However, for a new mother to leave the hospital so soon after giving birth is nothing unusual in the UK, so long as she feels fine and the medical staff can reach out to her instantly.

The Princess of Wales Was Urged Not to Have More Children

Interestingly, several months before Princess Kate announced her third pregnancy; she was warned not to have any more children. By that time, she already had Prince George, four, and Princess Charlotte, two.

An organization called "Having Kids," which "promotes a sustainable and child-centered family planning model," urged the Wales to reconsider expanding their family. In an open letter addressed to the royal couple, Executive Director President Anne Green Carter Dillard wrote that the British Royal Family had a significant influence on the public, continuing:

"Your discussion of having a larger family raises compelling issues of sustainability and equity. Large families are not sustainable."

The letter ended with a statement that said Prince George and Princess Charlotte had extraordinary lives and a third child would not have the same experience. However, that did not prevent the couple from having their youngest member of the family, Prince Louis.

Prince Louis Is Now Grown Up

The bubbly Prince Louis turned four years old on April 23, 2022. His family celebrated the occasion by releasing a series of birthday portraits captured by his loving mother. A day ahead of his birthday, the Wales posted two snapshots of their son in north Norfolk.

The first image showed him barefooted with a wide grin on his face. Prince Louis wore teal shorts paired with a star-print gray jumper and a white checkered shirt underneath. The following photo displayed him holding a cricket ball while posing for the camera.

Kate and Prince William reposted similar photos on their child's special day with an up-close shot of the minor laughing while sitting down. In the other snap, Prince Louis posed on the beach sand in a bushy area, again with a cricket ball in hand. The Prince and Princess of Wales captioned the post:

"Thank you all for the lovely birthday messages for Prince Louis today!"

In reaction to the post, many royal fans quickly pointed out Prince Louis' likeness to his mother and her side of the family, particularly his grandfather, Michael. While pictures show a happy and forever smiling boy, royal experts have claimed that sometimes there might be some outbursts behind the camera.

In one case, photos of Prince Louis captured for his second birthday in April 2020 showed the little boy with his hands in rainbow paint colors and one where the paint was all over his bright face. ITV News Royal Editor Chris Ship revealed:

"That's like most people's lives, isn't it? There’s the Instagram life, everything’s perfect and blue and filtered. Then there's the real-life, which is that he probably had a few rows about getting this picture done and a few tantrums."

Ship hinted that the youngster may have created an enormous mess after the Cambridges wrote in their post: "Instagram vs. Reality." He added that it was admirable of the royals to admit that their lives might not be as perfect as some of their Instagram pages insinuate. Talking about imperfections, in earlier years, Middleton came into the spotlight due to a mark on her head.

Middleton’s Imperfections and Her Recent Hospitalization

Months after Middleton became a royal through marriage, she had her first-ever solo engagement by standing in for her husband's father, now King Charles. She attended a formal and private charity dinner but a picture of her there was leaked.

Critics scrutinized the image and thought the Duchess appeared to have her hair out of place, suspecting she had an extension track. Middleton clarified the issue through a spokesperson, noting that it wasn't an extension track but rather a three-inch-long scar she sustained as a child after getting an operation on the side of her left temple.

However, the palace refused to explain the nature of the scar saying it was a private matter, only stating that it was "a very serious operation." A consultant surgeon from London's Lister Hospital, John Scurr, speculated that the scar might've resulted from a birthmark being removed.

John didn't think it was from a serious medical condition and was surprised that it hadn't been noticed before due to its size. On January 17, 2024, Middleton was back in the spotlight due to medical reasons. Through her and her husband's Instagram account, it was revealed that the previous day she was admitted to a hospital for a planned abdominal surgery.

The operation was a success but she was set to stay put in the hospital for ten to fourteen days before going home to recover. She wasn't expected to make any public appearances until after the Easter holidays.

Speaking of medical conditions, in September 2023, Kate was seen at HMP High Down men’s prison in Surrey, England. At the time she was appearing in her role as patron of The Forward Trust before Addiction Awareness Week in the UK.

What was most noticeable was that she had bandages on her right hand. The royal injured her hand while playing with her children on a trampoline. A palace spokesperson said it is “a small injury, nothing serious.” Here's to hoping she has a quick and painless recovery.