Difficult start to the year for the British royal family: King Charles III. will undergo surgery next week for a “benign” prostate enlargement, while Princess Kate was in hospital for at least ten days after abdominal surgery.
The two pieces of information were released in quick succession on Wednesday by the services of the British monarchy.
At 75, Charles III, head of state of the United Kingdom and 14 other Commonwealth countries including Canada, will put his agenda of public engagements on hold for the first time since his accession to the throne in September 2022 and will stay in hospital for an indefinite period.
Like thousands of men every year, the king sought a consultation about an enlarged prostate. Her Majesty's condition is mild and she will go to hospital next week for corrective surgery.
It is said that his public appearances will be postponed for a short period of time so that he can recover.
Since the death of Elizabeth II on September 8, 2022 at the age of 96, the ruler has had a very busy schedule of inaugurations with charities or on the diplomatic front, traveling to Germany, France, Kenya or at the COP28 climate conference. or receiving foreign heads of state.
According to the British press, Charles' future hospitalization became known because he had to cancel receptions in Scotland planned for Thursday and Friday. And the details of the diagnosis, unusual for the monarchy, would have been made public to encourage men to get tested.
Prostatic hypertrophy is a very common condition in men of a certain age and, if left untreated, can lead to progressive deterioration of bladder function and urinary tract infections.
Kate will be away until the end of March
The royal service was more unclear about the reason for the hospitalization of Kate, the wife of heir to the throne William, on Tuesday.
The Princess of Wales was admitted yesterday [mardi] at the London Elective Abdominal Surgery Clinic, Kensington Palace announced in a statement. The surgery was successful and she is expected to remain in the hospital for 10 to 14 days.
Based on current medical advice, she is unlikely to return to public duties before Easter, March 31, Kensington Palace has warned, requesting that her personal medical details remain confidential.
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Smiling, elegant and very popular: Princess Kate made her last public appearance on Christmas Day 2023. (file photo)
Photo: afp via getty images / ADRIAN DENNIS
No details were given about the reasons for the princess's hospitalization in a luxury clinic in the posh Marylebone district, where several members of the royal family died, including the late Prince Philip, husband of Elizabeth II.
According to several media outlets, not cancer
According to several British media outlets, Kate, whose last public appearance was at Christmas, does not have cancer.
According to the Times, her husband William has also abandoned several of his public commitments to stay by her side as much as possible. The Prince of Wales could therefore cancel a visit to Rome.
The couple, who have three children, George, Charlotte and Louis, live on private property in Windsor, west London.
Nothing predestined Kate Middleton, a commoner, for this royal life. His mother, a flight attendant, and father, an air traffic controller, then made their fortune by starting a party supply company.
Her meeting with William at the Scottish University of St. Andrews, where she went in 2001 to study art history, decided otherwise.
They married in Westminster Abbey in 2011. With her smile, her elegance and her fascinating strength, she has become an indispensable figure over the years.
The British press regards her as a model member of the monarchy and sees her as the polar opposite of her sister-in-law Meghan Markle, who is married to Harry, William's younger brother.