Princess Kate Middleton’s uncle Gary Goldsmith hasn’t been shy about sharing his thoughts on the royal family during his time as a contestant on Celebrity Big Brother U.K., but he drew a hard line when it came to discussing his niece’s health and whereabouts amid rumors following her “planned abdominal surgery” in January.

“Can I ask you a question?” fellow contestant Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu asked Gary, 59, on the show’s Wednesday, March 6, episode. “Where’s Kate?”

After a moment of hesitation, Gary replied, “So, because she doesn’t want to talk about it, the last thing I’m gonna do is … There’s a kind of code of etiquette. If it’s announced, I’ll give you an opinion.”

He continued, seemingly flustered by the question, “But I think the most important thing … I spoke to her mom, my sister. She’s getting the best care in the world. And all the family’s done is put the wagons around and look after family first before anything else.”

“It just takes some time to recoup, and we’ll see you in Easter,” he concluded.

Gary was referencing the January statement from Kensington Palace following Kate’s operation, which provided a timeline of ​her expected recovery and return to royal duties.

The January 17 message noted that Kate, 42, would remain in the hospital for 10 to 14 days before “returning home to continue her recovery.”

“Based on the current medical advice, she is unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter,” the statement warned.

Despite the provided date of Easter, which falls on March 31 this year, fans have speculated for weeks about the whereabouts of Kate in the wake of her surgery. In late February, the search “Where is Kate Middleton?” trended on the social media platform X, generating an influx of memes and conspiracy theories about the Princess of Wales.

The British Army announced on Tuesday, March 5, that Kate would make her first post-surgery public appearance at a Trooping the Colour event in June, but any mention of her appearance was removed from the website shortly thereafter.

According to BBC News, Kensington Palace had not yet confirmed Kate’s attendance, and it was posted without approval due to the army’s assumption that Kate, who serves as Colonel of the Irish Guards, would be there.

An insider exclusively told In Touch on Wednesday, March 6, that Kate would need “an additional five-plus weeks of recovery” before she is seen in public.

“She couldn’t keep food down and has lost an alarming amount of weight,” the insider said at the time, adding that Kate was concerned her current appearance would result in “massive shock and concern” from fans. “That’s how grave her situation is right now,” the source added.

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