Another Royal Takes a Break from Duties: What’s Happening in Buckingham Palace?

While the King and the Princess of Wales will be stepping away from their royal duties in the coming weeks to recuperate from their health issues, Prince Edward will also be taking a break from his duties. Meanwhile, the female royals will be stepping in to fulfill royal engagements.

Prince Edward's recent duties involved visiting St. Helena and South Africa in January. Following his return, the senior royal will be taking a short break together with King Charles and Catherine Middleton.

King Charles III, following medical advice for an enlarged prostate, is expected to spend the next month resting and recovering. In January, Buckingham Palace announced that His Majesty would undergo an operation for the prostate. Despite his absence, he will continue working on routine tasks from home.

Meanwhile, Catherine, Princess of Wales, will be recovering from her planned abdominal surgery until April, at the very least. "The surgery was successful, and it is expected that she will remain in hospital for ten to fourteen days before returning home to continue her recovery [sic]," the royal family's official statement revealed.

Kate and the King were discharged from the hospital on Monday. In another statement shared the same day, the royals revealed that "The Princess of Wales has returned home to Windsor to continue her recovery from surgery. She is making good progress."

Kate will be recuperating from home in the company of her three children. Her husband, William, the Prince of Wales, has also been away from public duties to tend to his wife in her hours of need. However, he will return to royal engagements soon.

Temporarily, in the absence of the King, Kate, and William, prominent female members of the royal family are stepping up to take charge. Queen Camilla, the Princess Royal, and the Duchess of Edinburgh will be the main figures representing the Royal family in public engagements.

Living up to her diligent work ethic, Princess Anne will have two or three engagements on most days, while the Queen will be out on visits every day. Interestingly, Princess Anne, known as the hardest-working royal, was the one by the late Queen Elizabeth's side in her last 24 hours before passing away on September 8, 2022.

She was Her Majesty's only daughter, who showed commitment to her work as a royal for many years. As her brother assumed the role of head of the monarchy, she showed support and asked the public to do the same.