RadarOnline has revealed in a shocking new piece that Kate Middleton may be thinking of leaving her royal responsibilities entirely.

The National Enquirer is purportedly informed by a Palace insider that the Princess of Wales has not yet made a firm choice, but that the demands of living as a princess have taken a significant toll on her.

Because of this, Kate keeps delaying her return to royal life. She had a “planned abdominal procedure” back in January, which caused her to retreat from the public eye.

Since Kate has been recovering from surgery for a long time—the Palace stated early on that she wouldn’t be returning until Easter—there has been much conjecture that Kate’s health must be serious.

This, together with the Royal Family’s normal lack of information sharing, has created a whirlwind of rumors that the Palace has been frantically attempting to contain.

This weekend, several news outlets removed the first official portrait of Kate Middleton, which was supposed to be used to commemorate Mother’s Day in the UK, citing allegations that the image had been “manipulated.” This did little to further their cause.

Even though Kate later admitted to self-editing the disputed photo, there are still enough unanswered questions about the Princess of Wales’s whereabouts and health over the past two months for very few, if any, to be willing to believe the Palace when they say everything is fine.

In any event, according to the previously cited RadarOnline article, Kate is currently considering whether or not to completely renounce her royal responsibilities, a decision that has upset her marriage to Prince William, the heir apparent.

A top palace source reportedly told the National Enquirer, “Kate’s desperate struggle with the constant pressures of life in the royal fishbowl has clearly taken a terrible toll on her physical and mental health.”

“She spent weeks staying out of the public eye after her operations — and it’s only strengthened her resolve to quit,” the source continued.

The same source went on to reveal that William is “beside himself” over the idea that Kate might want out.

“William is beside himself over her decision,” the source said. “He’s stunned his wife could ever consider such a move.

“He made sure she knew what she was getting into when she married him and she’s done a brilliant job. He’s concerned she’s become emotionally unstable, but she insists she’s finally seeing clearly!”

Wow! Are you prepared to believe that Kate Middleton is considering stepping away from royal duties? Let us know in the comments.