Princess Kate may now be recovering at home having undergone abdominal surgery last month, but an expert says she could well have a long road ahead of her.

Kate is said to be keen to get back and return to her royal duties even though Kensington Palace estimate she will be out-of-action until Easter at the earliest.

One expert however reckons she should still be taking it easy when she does return to duty, because a full recovery could take up to nine months.

It comes after the Princess of Wales spent two weeks at the London Clinic in Marylebone after the successful abdominal surgery. She is now recovering at Adelaide Cottage in Windsor.

A statement from Kensington Palace after the surgery said: “Based on the current medical advice, she is unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter.”

However, the Daily Star reports it could be longer before Kate is fully healed. Abdominal surgery expert Shashank Gurjar says the health issue could well be more complex than expected.

Speaking to Hello magazine, he said: “With large wounds, we stitch the abdomen together, and the stitch is designed to last for six to nine months. So patients remain aware of some pulling sensation in the abdomen, because of the stitch, for a good six to nine months after.

“When she goes home, she does need to rely on family members and anybody else who’s around to help her with making sure that, you know, the things that you kind of take for granted.”

The announcement of Kate’s health issue came at a similar time to the news about King Charles’ enlarged prostate. The monarch had to temporarily step away from royal duties, but is now recovering at home.