King Charles to undergo hospital treatment; Catherine recovering ...
King Charles to undergo hospital treatment; Catherine recovering following surgery
London: King Charles III will undergo a medical procedure next week for an enlarged prostate, Buckingham Palace said overnight just hours after it was announced his daughter-in-law, Catherine, was recovering in hospital after abdominal surgery.
Details about the health of senior royals are usually a closely guarded secret, with the palace releasing limited information on the occasions when it does provide public updates.
The Princess of Wales, 42, was admitted to the London Clinic on Tuesday for an operation and will remain there for between 10 and 14 days. The condition has not been disclosed, but is understood to be non-cancerous.
King Charles and Queen Camilla arrive to attend the Christmas Day service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham.Credit: AP
Catherine will step back from royal duties for months after surgery for an unspecified but non-cancer related abdominal condition, while the King has also cancelled engagements before his prostate condition is treated next week.
The 42-year-old wife of heir to the throne, Prince William, was last seen in public on Christmas Day when the royal family made their annual visit to a church service near the King’s Sandringham home in eastern England, and there was no prior indication she was unwell.
In a detailed statement, released just 90 minutes after the princess’s condition was revealed, the King’s condition was said to be benign, and he would undergo a “corrective procedure” in hospital. All his public engagements will be postponed for a short period after the treatment while he recovers, including high-level meetings with cabinet ministers and foreign dignitaries planned for Thursday and Friday.
The treatment is not expected to be a sufficient disruption to trigger any of the constitutional mechanisms for when the head of state is seriously ill. He is staying at his private home near Balmoral with the Queen, with royal sources quoted in various British media outlets saying he was in “good form” and in “good spirits”.
Charles, who turned 75 last November, was reportedly keen to share the details of his diagnosis to encourage other men experiencing symptoms to get checked, in line with public health advice.
Police officers standing outside The London Clinic.Credit: Getty Images
Non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate gland, also known as benign prostatic hypertrophy or hyperplasia, is common in older males. About five in 10 males aged over 50 and more than eight in 10 males aged over 80 have some symptoms.
While it is not usually a serious threat to health, it can cause problems, including difficulty passing urine or emptying the bladder. The condition does not mean the patient has an increased risk of developing prostate cancer.
Kensington Palace said Catherine was admitted to the London Clinic, a private hospital in the British capital, on Tuesday, and was expected to remain there for 10 to 14 days of treatment before returning home to recover.
No details of the surgery were given, but a palace spokesman said the condition was non-cancerous.
Britain’s Kate, Princess of Wales, has been hospitalised for planned abdominal surgery and will remain at The London Clinic for up to two weeks.Credit: AP
“The Princess of Wales appreciates the interest this statement will generate,” the statement said. “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.”
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Her office said it would only provide updates on her progress when there was “significant new information to share”. It added that, on medical advice, she was unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter.
William was reported to be committed to staying by her side as much as possible and had also cleared many of his forthcoming duties, with an official visit to Rome now in doubt.
The princess apologised for postponing appointments and said that she would return to public duties soon.
Catherine celebrated her birthday on Tuesday last week and spent the day with her family at their home in Windsor. Marking the occasion, the royal family’s official Instagram account shared a behind-the-scenes photograph from the King’s coronation with the caption: “Wishing the Princess of Wales a very happy birthday today.”
The Wales have three children – Princes George and Louis and Princess Charlotte. Catherine spent four days in hospital in 2012 suffering from severe morning sickness while pregnant with eldest son George.
With Reuters
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