But Gary Goldsmith declined to talk further about Kate's health due to a "code of etiquette".

There has been huge speculation on social media about the princess's health after she underwent abdominal surgery earlier this year and has been absent from royal duties.

Love Island winner Ekin-Su Culculoglu asked Goldsmith in footage shown on Wednesday's edition of the show: "Where's Kate?"

He replied: "Because she doesn't want to talk about... The last thing I'm going to do is... there's a kind of code of etiquette. If it's announced, I'll give you an opinion."

The younger brother of Carole Middleton added: "I spoke to her mum, my sister, she's getting the best care in the world.

"And all the family's done is put the wagons round and look after family first before anything else. They put a statement out and just said 'she's taking some time to recoup and will see you in Easter'."

Asked during the ITV reality show if he wants to see Kate return to public engagements, the 58-year-old businessman said: "She'll be back, of course she will."

On Monday afternoon, she was photographed for the first time since the medical procedure.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Defence has deleted a claim on its website that she would be attending Trooping the Colour this summer.

His comments come as Women's Aid criticised the decision to include Goldsmith on Celebrity Big Brother.

In 2017, Goldsmith was fined and given a 12-month community order after admitting he had assaulted his wife in a drunken argument in which she accused him of taking drugs.

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The national charity, which works to end domestic abuse against women and children, said the inclusion of men who have been convicted of abuse in an entertainment setting is a sign to survivors that such crimes "are not taken seriously".

"The decision to include a man who has been charged, and pleaded guilty to, assaulting his wife, in the Celebrity Big Brother house demonstrates the lack of awareness that the production team has when it comes to survivors of domestic abuse," a spokesperson for the charity said.

"The producers should consider how Gary Goldsmith's appearance will impact women who have survived domestic abuse and how they will feel watching him on TV every night.

"We would urge the producers to consider how they approach this, as for many survivors of abuse, the inclusion of men convicted of abuse in entertainment programmes will already be a sign that these crimes are not taken seriously - the entertainment industry has to consider the impact on women of who they give a platform to and derive entertainment value from."

A Big Brother spokesperson said: "All housemates undertake training in language and behaviour before entering the Big Brother house.

"All behaviour in the house is strictly monitored at all times."

Meanwhile, former This Morning presenter Fern Britton said she does not feel she can comment on recent events at the ITV show but said the new presenting line-up of Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley is a "new era".

Celebrity Big Brother contestant Britton presented This Morning with Phillip Schofield for eight years before leaving in 2009.

Schofield left the show after more than two decades last year, before admitting to an "unwise but not illegal" affair with a younger colleague.