Kate, Britain’s Princess of Wales, has undergone successful planned abdominal surgery and will be in hospital for up to two weeks, while King Charles will also undergo treatment for an enlarged prostate, royal officials said on Wednesday.
Buckingham Palace released surprise medical bulletins today announcing corrective procedures for both King Charles III and Princess Kate. His Majesty will undergo treatment next week for an enlarged prostate, a common condition affecting men over 50, while the Princess of Wales is recovering from recent abdominal surgery. Though the palace stated both operations were planned, the back-to-back royal medical issues have raised concerns.
At 75 years old, the king “has sought treatment for an enlarged prostate,” which the palace explained can cause urinary symptoms. “In common with thousands of men each year, the King has sought treatment for an enlarged prostate,” the statement reassuringly conveyed. “His Majesty’s condition is benign and he will attend hospital next week for a corrective procedure.”
King Charles has been “keen to share the details of his diagnosis” and hopes to reduce stigma, encouraging other men to get checked. The brief hospital stay and recovery are expected to force postponement of some upcoming royal engagements.
Meanwhile Prince William has paused public duties to be by Princess Kate’s side as she recovers from her recent successful surgery for an unnamed abdominal issue. The palace confirmed the princess “will remain in the hospital for 10 to 14 days” where the Prince of Wales is determined to stay close. Though Kate and William had seemed glowing in their Christmas Day appearances, the princess must have already been slated for this early 2024 procedure.
Despite assertions of normality, speculation abounds from royal watchers about the gravity of Kate’s condition. Yet she continues focusing on her young children rather than publicity, “hop[Ing] that the public will understand her desire to maintain as much normality for her children as possible,” the palace statement emphasized.
While few details of Kate’s condition were made public, as is usual with the royals who regard medical issues as a private matter, Charles was keen to share information to encourage other men experiencing symptoms to have their conditions checked.
With both the sovereign and the heir’s wife now convalescing from secret health issues, there are renewed worries over the resilience of a monarchy variously dubbed “The Firm” or “The Crown.” Perhaps presaging such instability, Queen Elizabeth II’s death last September passed the mantle to King Charles III after her history-making 70-year reign. Now with the palace beholden to reveal His Majesty’s private prostate problems barely four months into the new king’s rule, the perception of an unflappable British royalty seems increasingly flawed.
