All About Kate Middleton's Surgery Hospital — and the Other Royals Who Have Been Treated There

The Princess of Wales underwent abdominal surgery at The London Clinic and is staying there during the first leg of her recovery

Kate Middleton is not the first royal patient to check into The London Clinic, where Kensington Palace announced the Princess of Wales had “planned abdominal surgery” earlier this week.

The London Clinic is the largest independent, private hospital in the U.K. and was opened by Queen Elizabeth’s parents, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, when they were known as the Duke and Duchess of York in 1932. A group of leading medical specialists united to plan a new facility with the highest specifications for medical and building standards, and there have been various royal ties to the facility ever since.

Queen Elizabeth’s uncle the Duke of Windsor had an eye operation at the clinic in 1960, and Queen Elizabeth's sister Princess Margaret was treated there to have a benign skin lesion removed in 1980.

Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth's husband of 73 years, had abdominal surgery at the London Clinic in June 2013 and remained there for 11 days, the BBC reported.

Other famous patients have included Elizabeth Taylor, U.S. President John F. Kennedy and British Prime Minister Anthony Eden.

Related: A Complete Timeline of Kate Middleton's Abdominal Surgery and Recovery

Over the years, members of the royal family have supported the work of the hospital, which is also a registered charity, by opening new departments.

King Charles opened the physiotherapy department when he was the Prince of Wales in 1989, and Princess Margaret unveiled the MRI unit in the radiology dept in 1991. Queen Elizabeth opened the state-of-the-art cancer facility in 2010, and the London Clinic received the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade in 2011. The same year, her cousin Alexandra opened the new eye center and Queen Camilla unveiled the intensive care unit in 2017 as the Duchess of Cornwall.

With over 1,000 nurses and a capacity to treat approximately 155 different conditions, the hospital’s website describes their services as being able to “specialize in the care and treatment of complex medical conditions, such as cancer, women’s health, urology and orthopedics, all in a high-quality private setting.”

The medical hub in the Marylebone neighborhood of London has seven main operating theatres, three additional theatres and six specialty wards for surgeries in urology, gynecology, thoracic surgery, orthopedics and spinal procedures, plus clinical nurse specialists for over a dozen different conditions.

Related: Prince William Visits Kate Middleton in Hospital After Her Abdominal Surgery, Will Spend as 'Much Time as Possible'

Offering state-of-the-art technology as part of their treatment services, the London Clinic became the first private hospital in the U.K. to offer robotic surgery for prostate cancer in 2005, one of many “firsts” in its nearly 100-year history. The ICU provides care for critically ill and post-operative patients with 13 patient rooms and modern facilities.

Award-winning chef Paul O’Brien works alongside nutritionists to offer personalized food menus. Meat is sourced from Smithfield meat market, sustainable fish comes from Billingsgate, and much more. In 2021, executive head chef O’Brien was named among 44 “culinary heroes” by the Craft Guild of for his work in the community during the pandemic. “The food was amazing, diverse menu and tasty options (the lobster bisque was excellent!),” said one former patient through Google reviews.

Visitors can visit the onsite café; the Devonshire Coffee Shop for handmade sandwiches by the Soho Sandwich Company, pastries from Paul Rhodes Bakery and Lavazza coffee.

Renowned for its top-notch service, the clinic also offers an extensive concierge with staff who can arrange theatre tickets, chauffeurs, book private charters and even organize serviced apartments post-surgery for patients to recover nearby.

All rooms come with an ensuite bathroom with complimentary Molton Brown toiletries and fresh towels daily. The rooms all feature electronically controlled recliner beds, HD TV, telephones, radios and air conditioning.

“Exceptional patient care is a way of life for us,” says the website, adding: “Our nurses, clinicians and support teams are dedicated to the care of a very small number of patients, so we have more time for you.”

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Visitors are allowed until 9:30 p.m., but children are not permitted unless via special request which must be approved by the matrons.

Palace sources tell PEOPLE that the Princess of Wales, 42, is “doing well” after having surgery at the London Clinic on Tuesday. Kensington Palace announced that Kate had had surgery in a statement released Wednesday, which said it was a success. PEOPLE understands that the issue was non-cancerous.

“Based on the current medical advice, she is unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter,” the statement said in part. “The Princess of Wales appreciates the interest this statement will generate. She hopes that the public will understand her desire to maintain as much normality for her children as possible; and her wish that her personal medical information remains private.”

Prince William was seen leaving the London Clinic on Thursday during what the palace said would be a 10 to 14-day stay before going home to continue her recovery.

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