After Christmas, Prince William and Kate caught up with friends at their Anmer Hall home in Norfolk before having a private birthday celebration on January 9.

Within their broader circle of friends, when they were at Anmer Hall, no indication showed that anything was wrong with Kate.

“The carefully guarded news about Kate’s situation came as a surprise even to those who work closely with the royal family,” People reported.

Prince William is said to have visited his beloved wife every morning at the hospital, which has been heavily guarded by police.

But what is The London Clinic, and how is it to stay there? The private hospital in central London, just one hour’s car ride from Windsor, has had many famous guests. It was opened by the then Duke and Duchess of York in 1932 and has become a hospital many celebrities have visited.

John F. Kennedy, then a US Congressman, was diagnosed with Addison’s disease at the clinic in 1947. In 1963, Hollywood star Elizabeth Taylor underwent a knee operation at The London Clinic after falling while filming a movie.

Kate Middleton treated at the London Clinic

Moreover, in 1998, the former dictator of Chile, Augusto Pinochet, was arrested for crimes against humanity while at the clinic.

The royal family has been in contact with The London Clinic in several ways. Starting in the 1980s, royal family members have been officially launching several of the hospital’s facilities. In 1989, then-Prince Charles opened its physiotherapy department, and two years later Princess Margret opened the MRI unit. In 2010, Queen Elizabeth II visited The London Clinic to open its new cancer unit.

As reported by the Daily Mail, the private hospital has a leading cancer center where patients undergo chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

Kate Middleton isn’t the only royal family member who has been a patient there. In 1980, Princess Margaret was treated at the London Clinic to have a benign skin lesion removed, and in 2013, Prince Philip went through what was described as an “abdominal investigation.”

So, what can one expect as a patient at The London Clinic? Well, you will likely have quite the stay.

The large, private rooms include an electronic patient-controlled bed, a private bathroom, a large TV, and a deposit box. The food is arranged by head chef Paul O’Brien, who makes a variety of dishes for the patients.

Patients get their own concierge service

Patients get their own concierge service, while the hospital’s chef serves fish from Cornish boats and meat from Smithfields Market, The Economic Times report.

Moreover, a concierge can help patients arrange travel and accommodation while also booking tours, theatre shows, and restaurants.

A former patient at The London Clinic Rooms has spoken to People about what it’s like. The person said the private hospital has “three or four different menus” to satisfy various dietary preferences and requirements.

“I had a really good experience. I think the experience is always dominated by how well your surgery goes and the best surgeons are associated with The London Clinic, who are leading in their field in both research and surgery. I had a super surgeon, it was all very efficient; I was on the operating table two hours after I went in,” the insider told People.

“The level of service was excellent,” the former patient continued.

“The food is good. It’s à la carte so if you want to make changes, they are pretty good. I was on a strict diet at the beginning, but when I had visitors, they were easily able to order whatever they wanted from the normal menu.”

Even though the princess has been surrounded by some of the best doctors at the London Clinic, that doesn’t mean they can “heal” her body any quicker.

Kate urged not to “rush back” to work

She will rest for nearly a month before Easter arrives, and yet, while she reportedly has done some work from her hospital bed, doing too much too early can be a severe health risk. As the Princess of Wales is known to be very active, it will probably be challenging for her.

According to Dr Max Pemberton, a full-time psychiatrist with the NHS, returning to work too soon can be devastating. Speaking to the Daily Mail, Pemberton says that Kate must “not rush back” after her surgery and issues a warning.

“The Palace has said she’ll be taking time off official duties until Easter and on this, I think she’s incredibly sensible. We don’t know what’s wrong or why she needed the operation, but Kate has always struck me as quite down-to-earth, level-headed and stoical, so I’m sure she wouldn’t have heeded medical advice and taken that much time off unless really necessary,” he said.

“Abdominal surgery is serious. Of course, there’s always someone who will tell you how they had a hysterectomy in their lunch break, or their appendix removed while on the school run. But in reality we should all be taking a leaf out of Kate’s book and convalescing properly.”

Dr. Max Pemberton continued describing that we, in this somewhat stressful world, all must fully recover physically and mentally before returning to any kind of work. Just like Princess Kate, Pemberton explains that he, too, has had abdominal surgery.

“Looking back, wish I’d appreciated how major my operation was and taken the time needed to recover,” he stated.

The doctor concluded, “I hope Kate makes a speedy recovery, but also hope she doesn’t return to duties until she’s good and ready.”

Royalexpert says the public’s need for Kate’s surgery details could be considered “bullying”

Exactly what Kate’s abdominal surgery was about has not been revealed. The Princess of Wales decided to keep details about her abdominal surgery private, but still, the public wanted to know more about their beloved princess.

“I think it’s fair to say she was unsettled and not particularly happy. Maybe in Catherine’s case, she just kind of went quiet and didn’t say anything,” the former headmistress continued, later saying that if Kate had been badly bullied, she wouldn’t be the woman she is today.

If you enjoyed this article, perhaps you’d be interested in reading about Kate’s “rotten” condition which once put her in the hospital.

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