Moments after Kensington Palace confirmed that the Princess of Wales had been hospitalized in London after undergoing planned abdominal surgery, Buckingham Palace announced that King Charles III would undergo a “corrective procedure” next week.
The British monarch, 75, will undergo the procedure for an enlarged prostate, a condition that Buckingham Palace said is benign but requires “a short recovery period,” the Associated Press reported. The king sought treatment for an enlarged prostate “like thousands of men every year,” the palace said.
Meanwhile, her daughter-in-law Catherine, formerly Kate Middleton, was admitted to the London Clinic on Tuesday and underwent successful surgery, Kensington Palace said in a statement on Wednesday. The mother of three will likely be hospitalized for about two weeks, but she is expected to return to public duties after Easter, which is March 31 this year, based on current medical advice, the palace said.
“The Princess of Wales appreciates the interest this statement will generate,” Kensington Palace said. “She hopes the public understands her desire to maintain as much normality as possible for her children; and her desire that her personal medical information remain private.”
The statement did not say what type of abdominal surgery she underwent, but the palace confirmed to the Associated Press that it was not cancerous.. The palace said it would only provide updates on the future queen's progress “when there is significant new information to share.”
“The Princess of Wales would like to apologize to all those affected for having to postpone her upcoming engagements,” the statement added. “She hopes to reintegrate as many as possible, as soon as possible.”
Catherine, who married Britain's future king, Prince William, shares three children with the first in line to the British throne: son George, 10, daughter Charlotte, 8, and another son , Louis, 5. Although the eldest royal has generally appeared to be in good health, she was hospitalized during her pregnancies for severe morning sickness..
Catherine was previously the Duchess of Cambridge, a title she received when she married William, the first-born son of King Charles and the late Princess Diana. However, after the death of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022 (and Charles' subsequent ascension to the throne), William and Catherine were given the former titles of Charles and Camilla and are now Prince and Princess of Wales.
