King Charles III has canceled his royal engagements in Scotland as he prepares for a hospital procedure on an enlarged prostate, Buckingham Palace confirmed.
The 75-year-old monarch will be admitted to the hospital next week and is understood to have made the specific details of his diagnosis public to encourage other men to get checked out.
The shock news came less than two hours after Kensington Palace announced Kate Middleton was being hospitalized after successful abdominal surgery.
A palace source told Newsweek that while some of the king's upcoming engagements would be postponed, he would be "wholly capable" of carrying out his full duties. There will be no need for Prince William to stand in for the king.
A Buckingham Palace announcement read: "In common with thousands of men each year, 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. The King's public engagements will be postponed for a short period of recuperation."
An earlier Kensington Palace statement about Kate read: "Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales was admitted to the London Clinic yesterday for planned abdominal surgery. 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. Based on the current medical advice, she is unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter.
"The Princess of Wales appreciates the interest this statement will generate. 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.
"Kensington Palace will, therefore, only provide updates on Her Royal Highness' progress when there is significant new information to share.
"The Princess of Wales wishes to apologise to all those concerned for the fact that she has to postpone her upcoming engagements. She looks forward to reinstating as many as possible, as soon as possible."
The website of Britain's National Health Service reads: "Benign prostate enlargement (BPE) is the medical term to describe an enlarged prostate, a condition that can affect how you pee (urinate).
"BPE is common in men aged over 50. It's not a cancer and it's not usually a serious threat to health.
"Many men worry that having an enlarged prostate means they have an increased risk of developing prostate cancer. This is not the case.
"The risk of prostate cancer is no greater for men with an enlarged prostate than it is for men without an enlarged prostate."
There are a number of treatments, including changes to lifestyle, and most men with symptoms do not require surgery, the NHS says.
However, "it may be an option if other treatments have not worked or give you severe side effects, or your symptoms are severe," the website adds.
Symptoms include: Difficulty starting to pee, a frequent need to urinate and difficulty fully emptying your bladder.
Jack Royston is Newsweek's chief royal correspondent based in London. You can find him on X, formerly Twitter, at @jack_royston and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.
Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.
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About the writer
Jack Royston is Newsweek's Chief Royal Correspondent based in London, U.K. He reports on the British royal family—including King Charles ... Read more
