Kate Middleton Leaves Hospital Following Abdominal Surgery: 'She Is Making Good Progress'

The Princess of Wales is not expected to return to royal duties until at least Easter

Kate Middleton is recovering from surgery at home.

The Princess of Wales, 42, was discharged from the hospital on Monday, 13 days following her abdominal surgery, the palace said. She will now continue her recuperation at her home in Windsor, where she lives with her husband, Prince William, and their three children.

“The Princess of Wales has returned home to Windsor to continue her recovery from surgery. She is making good progress," Kensington Palace said in a statement Monday. “The Prince and Princess wish to say a huge thank you to the entire team at The London Clinic, especially the dedicated nursing staff, for the care they have provided.

“The Wales family continues to be grateful for the well wishes they have received from around the world," the statement read.

Kensington Palace announced on Jan. 17 that Princess Kate underwent a "planned abdominal surgery" at The London Clinic the previous day.

Related: How Prince William Is Handling Kate Middleton’s Recovery: ‘He Doesn’t Want to Leave It All to the Nanny’

"The surgery was successful, and it is expected that she will remain in hospital for 10 to 14 days, before returning home to continue her recovery," the statement said. "Based on the current medical advice, she is unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter."

"The Princess of Wales appreciates the interest this statement will generate. She hopes that the public will understand her desire to maintain as much normality for her children as possible; and her wish that her personal medical information remains private," the statement continued. "Kensington Palace will, therefore, only provide updates on Her Royal Highness’ progress when there is significant new information to share."

"The Princess of Wales wishes to apologize to all those concerned for the fact that she has to postpone her upcoming engagements. She looks forward to reinstating as many as possible, as soon as possible," they added.

PEOPLE understands that the issue was non-cancerous and that Prince William, 41, postponed public duties to support his wife during her recovery as well as take care of their children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. He did not undertake official duties while Princess Kate was in the hospital and is not expected to during the early days of her home recovery.

Related: Kate Middleton’s Surgery Came as a Surprise to Those Close to the Royal Family

A source close to the royal household exclusively tells PEOPLE in this week's cover story that it's "sensible" for Princess Kate to take the necessary recovery time before returning to public duty.

"That is a great example to the rest of us, as you’re often told to get back to work as soon as possible, which can be damaging. It is good for all of us to see her taking the time, recovering properly and then coming back," the source says. "We can all learn from that."

While the source says the issue "does sound serious," they expect her to "bounce back."

“It does sound serious with the length of time [she’s taking]. But she is in great hands and will have lots of care and support at home and is a fit young woman,” says the source. “I am sure she will bounce back.”

The Princess of Wales made her last public appearance on Christmas when she joined members of the royal family for their annual tradition of walking to church and greeting members of the public gathered outside after the service.

While the Princess of Wales had yet to return to royal duty in 2024, Prince William made his first official outing of the new year on Jan. 11. At Headlingley Stadium in Leeds, he joined Rob Burrow and Kevin Sinfield, two friends who have helped raise money for research and work to combat Motor Neurone Disease after Burrow was diagnosed with MND in December 2019.

Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more!

Just hours after Kensington Palace revealed the news about Princess Kate's surgery, Buckingham Palace announced that King Charles "sought treatment for an enlarged prostate."

The King, 75, was admitted to The London Clinic, where Princess Kate was also treated, on Friday — and visited his daughter-in-law before undergoing his procedure.

It's understood that the King's surgery was completed later in the day and that the patient is doing well.

Queen Camilla, 76, left the London hospital on Friday evening, giving a brief update to the well-wishers gathered outside.

"He's fine, thank you," she said heading to her car, according to ITV's Chris Ship.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.