King Charles III Set to Undergo Treatment for Enlarged Prostate

Buckingham Palace shared a statement regarding King Charles III's health shortly after it was confirmed Kate Middleton had undergone scheduled abdominal surgery.

By Hayley Santaflorentina Jan 17, 2024 4:38 PMTags
Watch: Why King Charles Will Have THIS Medical Procedure Done

King Charles III is sharing an update on his health.

Shortly after Kensington Palace announced Kate Middleton had undergone planned abdominal surgery, Buckingham Palace shared the King will soon undergo a small procedure.

"In common with thousands of men each year," the Palace's Jan. 17 statement began, "The King has sought treatment for an enlarged prostate. His Majesty's condition is benign and he will attend hospital next week for a corrective procedure."

It continued, "The King's public engagements will be postponed for a short period of recuperation."

An enlarged prostate is a common occurrence for men as they grow older, per the NHS. It is not cancer, nor does it raise one's risk for prostate cancer. 

According to NBC News, citing a source, His Majesty was eager to share his diagnosis publicly in order to encourage other men with similar symptoms to get checked by a health professional.

This news means that both the King and the Princess of Wales will be out of the public eye for a period of time as they recover from their respective procedures. 

photos
King Charles III's Road to the Throne

For Kate's part, Kensington Palace shared insight into her recovery period. 

"The surgery was successful and it is expected that she will remain in hospital for 10 to 14 days, before returning home to continue her recovery," the statement noted. "Based on the current medical advice, she is unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter."

WPA Pool / Pool (Getty)

The statement also stressed Kate's "wish that her personal medical information remains private" amid the interest in her health journey and her desire to maintaining "as much normality" for her and Prince William's children—Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5—as possible.

A Kensington Palace spokesperson confirmed to NBC News that Kate's condition is non-cancerous, and a source from the Palace also shared that the Princess is expected to recover with her family at their home in Windsor.

The health updates for both family members come only days after Kate celebrated her 42nd birthday—for which The King paid her special tribute.

Over an image of Kate shared to the Royal Family's official Instagram account on Jan. 9, Charles wrote, "Wishing The Princess of Wales a very happy birthday today!"

Keep reading to find out more recent news about the royals.

Returning to Public Duties

On April 26, nearly three months after sharing his cancer diagnosis, Buckingham Palace announced that Charles will return to public-facing duties

Queen Camilla Attends Royal Maundy Service

The queen consort attended the Royal Maundy Service on March 28 in place of King Charles III, making her the first spouse of the Monarch to continue the ancient tradition.

Kate Middleton Shares Cancer Diagnosis

In a March 22 video message, the Princess of Wales shared that she'd been diagnosed with cancer after undergoing abdominal surgery in January.

"It was thought that my condition was non-cancerous. The surgery was successful," she said before noting that tests after the operation found cancer had been present. "My medical team therefore advised that I should undergo a course of preventative chemotherapy and I am now in the early stages of that treatment."

Kate Middleton Apologizes for Edited Family Photo Controversy

After photo agencies pulled the picture Kensington Palace shared of Kate since having her abdominal surgery on March 10, the Princess of Wales addressed claims the photo was doctored. 

"Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing," she tweeted on March 11. "I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused. I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother's Day. C."

Lady Kitty Spencer Privately Welcomes Baby

Princess Diana's niece celebrated Mother's Day in the U.K. by sharing she and her husband Michael Lewis privately welcomed their first baby.

“It’s the joy of my life to be your mummy, little one. I love you unconditionally," she captioned her March 10 Instagram post. "Happy Mother’s Day to those who celebrate today."

Queen Camilla Takes a Break

After keeping up her full slate of engagements in the wake of her husband's cancer diagnosis, the palace cleared Camilla's schedule.

The Times pointed out March 2 that the 76-year-old didn't have any engagements on her calendar until March 11, when she'd be due at Westminster Abbey to observe Commonwealth Day.

Thomas Kensington Dies at 45

The husband of Lady Gabriella Windsor and ex-boyfriend of Pippa Middleton, was found dead Feb. 25. Days later, a coroner's inquest found that he died by suicide.

King Charles Diagnosed With Cancer

While King Charles III was in the hospital for his benign prostate enlargement procedure, the royal family member was diagnosed with cancer.

"His Majesty has today commenced a schedule of regular treatments, during which time he has been advised by doctors to postpone public-facing duties," Buckingham Palace said Feb. 5. "Throughout this period, His Majesty will continue to undertake State business and official paperwork as usual.The King is grateful to his medical team for their swift intervention, which was made possible thanks to his recent hospital procedure. He remains wholly positive about his treatment and looks forward to returning to full public duty as soon as possible."

Sarah Ferguson Is Diagnosed With a Second Type of Cancer

The Duchess of York's rep said in a statement on Jan. 21 that Sarah was recently diagnosed with malignant melanoma, an aggressive form of skin cancer. Several months prior, she underwent a single mastectomy to treat breast cancer.

Queen Margrethe II of Denmark Abdicates the Throne

On Jan. 14, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark made history as she officially abdicated the throne, handing the crown over to her son, now known as King Frederik the 10th

Kate Middleton Is Hospitalized

Kensington Palace announced on Jan. 17 that Kate Middleton underwent planned abdominal surgery and was set to remain in the hospital for 10 to 14 days.

"Based on the current medical advice," the Palace said, "she is unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter."

Prince William Adjusting His Schedule

Amid Kate's recovery, Prince William postponed a number of engagements as he supported his family, including the couple's three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

King Charles III Undergoing Treatment

Shortly after Kate's hospitalization was made public, Buckingham Palace shared that Charles "has sought treatment for an enlarged prostate."

"His Majesty's condition is benign and he will attend hospital next week for a corrective procedure," the statement added. "The King’s public engagements will be postponed for a short period of recuperation."

Luxembourg Welcomes a New Baby

Princess Claire and Prince Felix of Luxembourg welcomed son Balthazar Felix Karl on Jan. 7, the first royal baby of the New Year!

For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App