Pss of Wales- surgery/no engagements until Easter

Who?

After giving it's become a bit of a thing mainly because there's such interest in a new baby...but that's a happy time and the women aren't 'sick' so if they feel up to doing it, good for them, but if they don't, I'm sure no-one would force them.
Meghan managed to keep the birth a secret and get to and from hospital without anyone knowing, they didn't announce the birth until she was already back home and she didn't do a photo op for a few days.
Sophie (then the Countess of Wessex) had a difficult first birth and the baby was at least 3 or 4 weeks old by the time they did the first photo. It basically started with Diana and Sarah, and both were both young, fit healthy women.
Neither Eugenie or Beatrice did hospital step baby photos, nor did Zara.
So, not it isn't common.

In the past royals have mostly gone to hospital in secret and the public were never even told. The Queen mother was rumored to have had multiple surgeries in her later years and we never heard about them, The Queen must have been in hospital a few times and we never saw her coming or going. The only recent one I can think of is Prince Philip, where we were told he had been hospitalized & we saw him leaving in the car.

Now more recently Charles, but he's the current King, so there's much more public interest in him. I was even surprised he made it known not only that he was having surgery, but also exactly what type.

With Catherine they made the announcement that she was having surgery and would not do any public appearances until at least after Easter - so there's nothing mysterious about her not being seen before then...obviously there was a long term plan right from the start for whatever she is dealing with.

But I cannot think of "all the other royal family members who have been photographed leaving hospital even when they are taking time off" so I'll be interested to read about who they are.

Also, from what I have been reading (and there's plenty of photos of them together) Catherine's sister Pippa was very good friends with Thomas Kingston, and she will be grieving as well, so potentially Catherine has been supporting/visiting her sister, and William is looking after the children.
It seems obvious to me that they have some sort of pact that whenever possible one of them stays with their children for as long as possible - knowing that at any time (Charles is 75) They could very suddenly become the new monarchs and then they will have other duties and obligations which will mean they can't always put their own family first.