Prince William will "shield" his wife Princess Kate from outside pressures as she recovers from her major surgery, a former royal press secretary has claimed.
The Princess of Wales announced in January that she was admitted to The London Clinic hospital for "planned abdominal surgery", and that the procedure was "successful".
In a statement released by Kensington Palace on Instagram, it was revealed that the Princess of Wales is "unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter."
To help with her recovery, Prince William has also decided to temporarily step back from royal engagements to look after his wife.
Ailsa Anderson says Prince William will 'shield' Princess Kate from pressures following her surgery
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Prince William made his first public appearance on Wednesday, where he thanked well-wishers for their support for King Charles and Princess Kate at the London Air Ambulance charity gala dinner.
The Prince of Wales said: "I'd like to take this opportunity to say thank you, also, for the kind messages of support for Catherine and for my father, especially in recent days. It means a great deal to us all."
Discussing the mounting pressure on Prince William to step up his royal duties as well as look after his family, former press secretary to Queen Elizabeth II, Ailsa Anderson, said the Prince of Wales will "shield" his wife from the fallout as she recovers.
Anderson added that Prince William is a "modern monarch in waiting" and will step up in their absences in the "way he wants to".
Princess Kate is recovering from planned abdominal surgery at Adelaide Cottage
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Anderson told host Camilla Tominey: "I think William will try and shield her from as much of that pressure as possible. I hear they've gone to Sandringham for half term week next week, to recuperate.
"And I think he will try and give her as much space as she needs to, to recuperate."
Shutting down critics amid claims the Wales's "weren't doing enough" prior to Princess Kate's surgery, Anderson said: "Give them a break!"
Anderson added: "For Prince William, family and duty go hand in hand."
Ailsa Anderson says Prince William is a 'modern monarch in waiting'
GB News
Discussing Prince William's role in the monarchy as King Charles steps back from public duties, Anderson said that he "didn't want to overshadow" his father and his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II when she was reigning monarch, despite the "stardust" that was given to him and Princess Kate.
Anderson explained: "When the Queen became Queen, she was 26 years old, so she had that stardust too. She was that glamorous, young, fragile, beautiful queen. So actually that happened to her as well.
"I think Prince William is very much his own man, and he will step up in the way he wants to do it, and do it perhaps a bit differently from what's gone before. There's no real rule book."
She continued: "We don't know what they're doing behind the scenes. There are meetings, there is paperwork, there's planning. And also they've got three small children."