Kate, Princess of Wales, in hospital after planned abdominal surgery

>>> WELCOME BACK. IT IS JUST ABOUT 10:00 A.M. ON THE EAST COAST. 3:00 P.M. IN ENGLAND. PRINCESSWE UNDERSTAND SHE WILL REMAIN IN THE HOSPITAL FOR 10 TO 14 DAYS ACCORDING TO KENSINGTON PALACE. FOLLOWING THE STORY FOR US FROM OUR LONDON BUREAU. WHAT ARE YOU LEARNING? >> Reporter: HEY, NANCY. WELL THIS INFORMATION IS REALLY JUST COMING IN THE LAST HOUR, BUT WE’RE HEARING THAT THE PRINCESS OF WALES HAS UNDERGONE SUCCESSFUL ABDOMINAL SURGERY AND WON’T BE RESUMING PUBLIC DUTIES UNTIL AFTER EASTER. NOW IT THIS IS COMING FROM KENSINGTON PALACE WHO SAID THE 42-YEAR-OLD PRINCESS WAS ADMITTED TO

THE LONDON CLINIC YESTERDAY FOR THE PLANNED PROCEDURE. THE FUTURE QUEEN IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN IN THE HOSPITAL FOR 10 TO 14 DAYS BEFORE RETURNING HOME TO CONTINUE HER RECOVERY. IN THE STATEMENT SHE SAID SHE WISHES TO APOLOGIZE FOR ANYUPCOS HAD TO POSTPONE. THE PALACE DID REFUSE, HOWEVER, TO CONFIRM WHAT KATE WAS BEING TREATED FOR, BUT CONFIRMED THE CONDITION WAS NON-CANCEROUS. >> THAT’S GOOD. HOPEFULLY IT IS NOTHING TOO MAJOR. WHEN I THINK OF KATE MIDDLETON, SHE APPEARS TO BE THE PECKTURE OF HEALTH. SHE’S PHYSICALLY ACTIVE, SHE’S STRONG, SHE’S LEAN. GENERALLY HER HEALTH HAS BEEN PRETTY GOOD?

>> ABSOLUTELY. SHE’S VERY YOUNG. IN FACT WE HAVE TO REMEMBER THE LAST TIME WE SAW KATE MIDDLETON WAS ABOUT THREE WEEKS AGO. IT WAS CHRISTMAS. AND YOU’RE RIGHT.

SHE WAS THE PECKTURE OF HEALTH AND WITH HER FAMILY. G THEY WERE MEETING WITH THE PUBLIC AS THEY DO ON CHRISTMAS DAY. BUT NOW WE HAVE THE NEWS THAT SHE IS GOING TO BE IN THE HOSPITAL AGAIN FOR A NUMBER OF DAYS. SHE’LL BE ESSENTIALLY RECUPERATING FOR A NUMBER OF MONTHS AGAIN UNTIL EASTER. NOW WE UNDERSTAND RATHER THE PRINCESS OF WALES UNDERSTANDS THERE WILL BE A LOT OF

INTEREST IN THIS STATEMENT, AND SHE HAS SAID SHE HOPES THE PUBLIC WILL UNDERSTAND HER DESIRE TO MAINTAIN AS MUCH NORMALCY FOR HER CHILDREN AS POSSIBLE. SHE ALSO SAID HER WISH IS HER PERSONAL MEDICAL INFORMATION REMAIN PRIVATE. IN THE STATEMENT FROM KENSINGTON PALACE, IT SAID IT WILL ONLY PROVIDE UPDATES ON HER ROYAL HEINOUS’ PROGRESS WHEN THERE IS SIGNIFICANT NEW INFORMATION TO SHARE. >> THAT’S UNDERSTANDABLE. AND IT’S A LONG TIME. AND I IMAGINE SOME OF IT WILL HAVE TO DO WITH THE CHILDREN GOING BACK TO SCHOOL. IT’S BEEN A WHILE AND ALSO PRINCE WILLIAMS WILL BE CUTTING

DOWN ON HIS PUBLIC DUTIES IN ORDER TO SUPPORT PRINCESS KATE AT THIS TIME? >> THAT’S RIGHT. WE UNDERSTAND THE FUTURE KING WILL ALSO BE BY HIS WIFE’S SIDE. AND THEY HAD MANY THINGS PLANNED IN THE COMING MONTHS. IT’S AN EVENT THEY GO QUITE OFTEN. THEY WERE PLANNING A TRIP TO ITALY AS WELL AND AN OVERSEAS TRIP. OBVIOUSLY THAT HAS BEEN CANCELED TOO. AGAIN THE PRINCESS IN THAT STATEMENT BY KENSINGTON PALACE APOLOGIZING FOR THE FACT SHE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO MAKE THOSE EVENTS, BUT AGAIN SAYING THEY WILL NOT BE MAKING ANY STATEMENTS UNLESS THERE IS

SIGNIFICANT INFORMATION TO SHARE. >> YOU KNOW, I FIND THAT SECOND PARAGRAPH IN THE STATEMENT KIND OF MOST INTERESTING WHERE SHE ACKNOWLEDGES AND APPRECIATES THAT THERE WILL BE SIGNIFICANT INTEREST IN THIS STATEMENT, BUT ASKS FOR PRIVACY. I JUST THOUGHT TO MYSELF, YOU KNOW, WE’VE HAD THOSE RECENT SETTLEMENTS WITH THE MEDIA AND THE ROYAL FAMILY. IT READS LIKE A VERY FIRM STAY OUT OF MY BUSINESS IN THE MOST POLITE WAY. >> THAT IS VERY GOOD READING OF IT. LOOK, I T THINK THE BRITISH PRES WILL LIKELY BE VERY RESPECTFUL OF IT, BUT THERE’S GOING TO BE A

GREAT DEAL OF HUNGER FOR LACK OF A BETTER PHRASE FOR INFORMATION AS TO WHAT EXACTLY IS THE REASON BEHIND THE WOMAN WHO WILL EVENTUALLY BECOME QUEEN, SPENDING SO MUCH TIME IN HOSPITAL. BUT AGAIN, THIS IS HER PRIVATE MEDICAL HEALTH. EVERYBODY DESERVES PRIVACY WHEN IT COMES TO THEIR HEALTH INCLUDING SOMEONE THAT’S PUBLIC FACING AS PRINCESS KATE. IN SAYING THAT, IT IS UNUSUAL FOR MEMBERS OF THE ROYAL FAMILY TO ANNOUNCE THAT THEY HAVE HAD PROCEDURES. THAT IS WHY I THINK WE ARE GETTING THIS STATEMENT THAT’S WORDED THE WAY IT HAS, MAKING IT VERY CLEAR THEY UNDERSTAND THE

LEVEL OF INTEREST, BUT AGAIN WOULD LIKE THAT PRIVACY, GUYS? >> ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU SO MUCH. >>> NOW FOR A LITTLE MORE ANALYSIS, WE WANT TO BRING IN CBS NEWS ROYAL CONTRIBUTOR, AMANDA FOREMAN. IT’S GREAT TO SEE YOU. IT’S BEEN SO LONG. AMANDA USED T TO BE A REGULAR FIXTURE HERE. AMANDA, WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THIS STATEMENT? I MEAN I HAD SAID I THOUGHT THE SECOND PARAGRAPH WAS QUITE INTERESTING BECAUSE SHE’S KIND OF CLEARLY CLARIFYING THE BOUNDARIES THAT YES THE PUBLIC IS INTERESTED. YES, THE PUBLIC IS INVESTED, BUT SHE’S ALSO A MOTHER AND A

WIFE. YOU KNOW, WOULD LIKE SOME PRIVACY. WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THIS STATEMENT AND WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN HEARING ABOUT WHAT’S GOING ON WITH HER? >> WELL, IN TIMES OF THE STATEMENT, THIS REFLECTS THE FACT AS YOU SAY, SHE’S ALWAYS PUT HERSELF AS A MOTHER FIRST. SHE DOESN’T WANT HER CHILDREN TO BE EXPOSED TO ANY KIND OF SPECULATION OR INTRUSION. AND SO THIS STATEMENT WAS PUT OUT 100% WITH THE MINDS TO PROTECTING THOSE THREE CHILDREN. >> YEAH, I’M ALSO CURIOUS. SHE WAS VERY OPEN OR AT LEAST THEY CAME OUT PRETTY EARLY ON IN HER PREGNANCY.

AND WAS IN THE HOSPITAL OR IN BED BECAUSE OF THAT. THERE IS THAT ARGUMENT OF HOW MUCH IS THE PUBLIC OWED IN TERMS OF THAT MEDICAL INFORMATION? IT IS AN INTERESTING CONVERSATION TO HAVE. >> Reporter: IT IS AN INTERESTING CONVERSATION TO HAVE. BUT WHEN IT INVOLVES YOUNG CHILDREN, THE TRADITION IS ALWAYS TO ERR ON THE SIDE OF CAUTION. IN PARTICULARLY WITH THE ROYAL FAMILY AS WE KNOW THERE WERE INSTANCES IN YOUNG PRINCES GROWING UP WHERE THEY WERE INCREDIBLY SCARED BY MEDIA SPECULATION ABOUT THEIR MOTHER. AND SO THAT MINDFULNESS IS WHY THEY HAVE GONE IN THIS

DIRECTION. >> THAT’S AN INTERESTING POINT. IN LOOKING AT THIS STATEMENT ALSO, THE STATEMENT SAYING SHE WON’T RETURN TO ROYAL DUTIES UNTIL AFTER EASTER. READING INTO THAT, THAT SEEMS TO BE A LONG RECOVERY PROGRESS. HOW SIGNIFICANT IS THAT? >> IT IS VERY SIGNIFICANT. DON’T FORGET THERE ARE PROCEDURES THAT CAN REQUIRE LONG RECOVERY TIME. FOR EXAMPLE A HYSTERECTOMY COULD TAKE WEEKS TO RECOVER. AND IT DOESN’T MEAN IT’S A LIFE THREATENING SITUATION. BUT THERE’S A LOT OF PROCEDURES PEOPLE DON’T WANT TO HAVE DISCUSSED. IT IS PERSONAL TO THEM. THIS MAKES A LOT OF SENSE WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF

WHAT WE’RE HEARING. >> WHAT SORT OF ENGAGEMENT DOES SHE USUALLY PARTICIPATE IN? WHAT WILL SHE BE MISSING OUT ON? >> WELL, I MEAN THIS IS AN INCREDIBLY BUSY TIME FOR THE PRINCESS OF WALES. AND IN THE CHRISTIAN CALENDAR, LENT ON THURSDAY, ASH WEDNESDAY. THERE IS A LOT THAT GOES ON AROUND NOW. AND THE ROYAL FAMILY PLAYS A BIG ROLE IN THAT. AS AN AMBASSADOR FOR HER MENTAL HEALTH AND FOR HER CHILDREN, THE BIG THING IS SHE HAS A VERY PHYSICAL ROLE. SHE IS ALWAYS STANDING UP, SITTING DOWN. THAT’S WHERE SHE HAS TO BE PARTICULARLY CAREFUL.

>> THAT MAKE