Kate continues recovery as her uncle reveals William has olive branch for Harry

The Palace has broken its silence over unfounded conspiracy theories about Kate Middleton’s health being shared on social media.

The Princess of Wales, 42, was seen for the first time in public two days ago after she was admitted to hospital for abdominal surgery in January for an unspecified condition. Gossip website TMZ snapped the princess in an Audi 4×4 near Windsor, alongside her mother Carole Middleton.

The exact details of the princess’s condition have not been revealed but the Palace said previously it was not cancer-related, and that Kate wished her personal medical information to remain private.

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A senior public relations executive told the Telegraph: “The royal family is looking short-staffed and quite elderly. The Sussexes have a popularity problem and can see there is an opportunity to step in to fill a vacuum over here with their own work. There is also growing noise stateside that Harry would like to carry out duties on behalf of his father again.”

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The Duchess of Edinburgh has surprised her husband with a tearful tribute ahead of his 60th birthday, saying he is “the best of fathers, the most loving of husbands and he is still my best friend” and “I am so proud of the man he is”.

Sophie took to the stage at the end of the Community Sport and Recreation Awards, in Leeds, to make a speech praising her husband ahead of his landmark birthday on Sunday.

They both wiped away tears after she described how, like his father, the late Duke of Edinburgh, “my husband never seeks compliments for himself”.

She said: “Which is why I am grateful for this chance to able to publicly celebrate and compliment him.”

Sophie said Edward was “so happy and humbled” when the late Queen made him a Knight of the Garter in 2006, and “equally delighted and moved” when the new King – “who we are both incredibly proud to support” – made him Duke of Edinburgh.

She told the audience on Friday: “Both he deserves in equal measure, and I am so proud of the man he is.

“He is the best of fathers, the most loving of husbands and he is still my best friend.”

After the couple embraced, the duke was further surprised with a birthday cake, which he cut after the guests at the awards lunch, at Headingley Stadium, sang Happy Birthday and cheered.

Earlier, Edward had joked that he did not need to be reminded how old he was, as he was presented with a rugby shirt to mark his forthcoming birthday.

The Princess of Wales’ brother James Middleton is set to publish a memoir which documents his time with his late dog who he credits with “saving my life”.

Titled Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life, the book will tell his story through his relationship with the cocker spaniel Ella, who he adopted when he was aged 20, and the journey they went on for 15 years until her death last year.

He has often spoken openly on how his late dog helped him during his struggles with anxiety and clinical depression.

Described as a “tender, warm-hearted and sometimes devastating” memoir, it will will offer an insight into their time together from royal weddings to his first meeting with his wife Alizee.

The couple tied the knot in the rural village of Bormes-les-Mimosas in south-east France in September 2021.

In October last year they welcomed their first child, a baby boy named Inigo.

In an Instagram post announcing the book, Middleton wrote: “Many of you have asked me over the years if I would ever write a book, when Ella passed I started writing all of our adventures and memories down as a way of processing the grief.

“I credit Ella to saving my life when I was eclipsed with Clinical depression, she introduced me to my wife, gave me purpose and loved me unconditionally.

“I know many of you have your own Ella’s or might be in need of one now and I hope this book will also help us to talk more openly about our mental health, our need for connection, and the way in which the animals that we think we are taking care are always looking after us in return.”

The royal couple had been on the pitch at Headingley where they watched girls from four Leeds schools go through training drills and chatted to them – asking about how they go into the sport and how their current season was going.

The visit on Friday was taking place on International Women’s Day and, after they arrived, Edward and Sophie were met by two pioneers of women’s rugby league – Julia Lee, the UK’s first female Rugby League referee, and Lisa McIntosh, a former Great Britain rugby league captain who was the first woman of colour to skipper a British sports team.

Both are involved in a project to ensure the story of the first generation of female rugby league players is heard more widely and they showed the duke and duchess around exhibition of the history of women’s rugby league.

The Duke of Edinburgh joked that he did not need to be reminded how old he was as he was presented with a rugby shirt to mark his upcoming 60th birthday.

Edward and Sophie were posing for pictures on Friday with girls playing Rugby League at Headingley Stadium, in Leeds, when they were each given Leeds Rhinos shirts – two days ahead of his birthday on Sunday.

The duke laughed as he noticed the shirt had “HRH 60” on the back and said to his wife: “Yours is more subtle than mine.”

He told the young players: “Thanks a bunch. I really need to be reminded.”

Sophie held her shirt up with no number and told the girls: “I’m much younger.”

The duke continued to be amused by the number on the back of his shirt and he said: “Even I know there aren’t than many people on the field.”

The royal couple had been on the pitch at Headingley where they watched girls from four Leeds schools go through training drills and chatted to them – asking about how they go into the sport and how their current season was going.

Gary Goldsmith has hit out at Meghan and Harry again – saying he thinks their royal titles should be taken away.

Kate Middleton’s uncle has criticised the Duke and Duchess of Sussex after Fern Britton asked him if Prince William was “furious” over his brother’s decision to leave his royal duties.

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