'Fragile' But Confident: Princess Kate's Health Crisis Is a 'Serious Setback' for Future Queen During 'the Prime of Her Life'

Kate, Princess of Wales, is currently recovering from a "serious" and "major" abdominal surgery at the age of 42. The future queen is said to be "struggling" to regain her formerly "pristine health" after this "serious setback," but her confidence has been seriously challenged in the process.

"Clearly, whatever’s happened to Catherine, she’s probably feeling fragile — mentally as well," royal expert Jennie Bond dished. "To have a serious setback like this at the prime of your life, it must knock your confidence, and so she’ll be fragile at this stage in her recovery and to have this thrown at her. She must just be thinking, 'Why, why, why did Uncle Gary have to do this?' I imagine she’s thoroughly depressed about it."

Princess Kate's uncle, Gary Goldsmith, was recently evicted from Celebrity Big Brother, but not before he "talked relentlessly" about his niece with "some bashing of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle thrown in," according to a palace insider.

Although the businessman revealed that his niece is receiving "the best care in the world," Bond questions the true closeness of his relationship with Britain's next Queen Consort.

"I don’t think it’s a particularly close relationship and I don’t think he’s part of the 'inner circle' anymore — I think he’s increasingly been pushed outside that circle now," Bond observed.

As for Her Royal Highness, she is still scheduled to return to public-facing royal duties "after Easter." Ever since her "planned" but sudden surgical procedure on January 16, a media frenzy has circulated around what caused her condition and why such secrecy was surrounding the cause. Both Kensington Palace and the princess herself have remained silent about her ailment except to share that she is "doing well."

One anonymous royal source has revealed that the future queen is likely "naturally battling depression, which is common for anyone after a major procedure."

They continued: "To be stricken with such a serious health scare at such a young age is serious stuff mentally. Add to the fact that she was always so fit and healthy-looking — it's all just a bit too much, especially for her as a mother of three young children and as our Princess of Wales."

In response to intense media speculation about the future queen's condition, sources from Kensington Palace, which is Prince William and Kate's official office and base, offered a pointed statement.

"Obviously, we've seen the madness of social media, and that is not going to change our strategy," they explained. "There has been much on social media, but the Princess has a right to privacy and asks the public to respect that. We were very clear from the outset that the Princess of Wales was out until after Easter, and Kensington Palace would only be providing updates when something was significant."

The New York Post reported on Bond's remarks.