King Charles' Hospitalization Is Historic For This Sad Reason
Catherine, Princess of Wales, is recovering in the hospital, and her father-in-law will soon be joining her. On January 17, 2024, the palace announced that Kate Middleton is taking a break from the public eye amid surgery recovery. While it has been noted that Middleton's recovery is for abdominal surgery, no other details were disclosed. They did, however, state that this surgery has nothing to do with cancer.
Middleton's medical issue has this in common with King Charles III's upcoming procedure. Buckingham Palace is calling Charles' impending hospital stay the result of a "corrective procedure" for an enlarged prostate. Once again, though, they noted that it is benign. Charles will head to the hospital for the procedure during the week of January 22.
This means that he will most likely overlap hospital stays with Middleton, who will have a two-week stay for recovery. The palace's statement mentioned that the princess' "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." This seems to be the first time the hospitalization of two royals has been announced on the same day.
The palace has been more forthcoming about King Charles' condition
In Kensington Palace's January 17 statement about Kate Middleton's surgery, they made note of her "wish that her personal medical information remains private," (via Instagram). As a result of this, it's unlikely that we'll learn more about the Princess of Wales's condition — at least any time soon. It is worth noting, though, that this is considered a long hospital stay. As for King Charles III's health issues, Buckingham Palace has been more open about what's ailing him.
According to their statement, "In common with thousands of men each year, The King has sought treatment for an enlarged prostate," per BBC. Benign Prostate Enlargement is extremely common for men over the age of 50. And, while it can be a frustrating condition to live with, it rarely presents any major health problems, nor does it cause a higher risk of prostate cancer. There are a few different treatments that the 75-year-old king could be receiving for this condition. It's unlikely, though, that he'll be in the hospital for more than a week.
It's surely nerve-wracking for the royal family that these health issues have popped up at the same time. According to a statement from the palace, Middleton "is unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter" (via BBC). While they'll have plenty of recovery time in the interim, we'll likely be seeing the father and daughter-in-law duo back to their public appearances by the spring.
One royal expert has a theory of who will step up in the interim
The Daily Mail reported that several meetings that King Charles III had scheduled in the days following his surgery announcement but before the procedure was actually due to take place were canceled, under doctor's orders. Buckingham Palace's official announcement stated that after the surgery, "The King's public engagements will be postponed for a short period of recuperation." Angela Levin, a royal expert and journalist, spoke with GB News and was convinced that Charles won't spend too long away from his royal engagements and obligations.
She opined, "He will be back very soon I'm sure, you know, walking up the hills in Scotland." Levin also claimed that William, Prince of Wales, plans to take a break to support Catherine, Princess of Wales, and their children during her recovery. While theorizing about which royal would step up while the others are out of commission, Levin quipped that the thought of Prince Harry doing so "makes you shiver." She suggested Queen Camilla instead, although the author acknowledged, "I doubt that she would necessarily want to take that burden so soon after the coronation."
Levin confidently posited that Charles' sister Anne, the Princess Royal, would be the one to step in, arguing, "She's absolutely at the top as she wasn't before the Queen died. But now she is. So she's the one we can all rely on." Levin also commended Anne's well-established conscientious nature, proven by her official status as the hardest-working royal (via The Telegraph).