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Key differences between King Charles and Princess Kate's health statements and reasons behind them

 The monarch has been praised for his openness


Kate Middleton and King Charles
Danielle Stacey
Online Royal CorrespondentLondon
On 18 January 2024
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The royal household has been hit with two double health announcements this week.

Within the space of 90 minutes, it was confirmed on Wednesday that the Princess of Wales is in hospital recovering from abdominal surgery, while King Charles is set to have treatment next week for an enlarged prostate.

There were different approaches taken with the statements from Kensington Palace and Buckingham Palace.

A lengthy statement from Prince William and Kate's office outlined the Princess' recovery time and included an apology about having to postpone her upcoming engagements.

It 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 ten to fourteen 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."

Prince William, Prince of Wales seen leaving The London Clinic after visiting Catherine, Princess of Wales on January 18, 2024 in London,© Getty
Prince William was pictured visiting Kate in hospital on Thursday

The reason behind Kate's surgery has been kept private but it's understood to be non-cancerous.

Meanwhile, Buckingham Palace revealed the medical procedure that the King will undergo next week in a brief statement.

 It 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."

London Clinic - where Princess of Wales is recovering after undergoing successful abdominal surgery© Getty
The London Clinic where Kate is recovering after her surgery

 It is understood Charles, 75, was keen to share his diagnosis, in order to encourage other men who may be experiencing symptoms to get checked in line with health advice, a move which has been praised by charities.

Oliver Kemp, CEO of Prostate Cancer Research, tells HELLO!: "We are incredibly grateful that His Majesty King Charles has decided to be so open about his enlarged prostate and encourage men to follow up on any symptoms they may have with their GP.

"He is a fantastic example of how men need to talk more openly about their health so that they are treated effectively. Fortunately, the King's case is benign but 1 in 8 men in the UK will get prostate cancer. We wish the King a speedy recovery."

WATCH: King Charles' health through the years

Meanwhile, there has been a significant increase in searches for an "enlarged prostate" on the NHS website after the King shared his diagnosis, new figures show.

The NHS website’s prostate enlargement page received more than 11 times as many visits on Wednesday compared to Tuesday.

There were 16,410 visits to the page on Wednesday – an average of one visit every five seconds – compared to 1,414 visits on Tuesday, NHS England officials said.

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