King Charles III, 75, was admitted to hospital on Friday to undergo surgery for his benign prostate enlargement, Buckingham Palace said in a statement on Friday.
“The King was admitted to a London hospital this morning for planned treatment. “Her Majesty would like to thank everyone who has sent her well wishes over the past week and is pleased to learn that her diagnosis is having a positive impact on raising awareness of public health issues,” the palace said.
The royal was seen entering the London clinic on Friday morning with Queen Camilla at his side.
Princess Kate, Prince William's wife, is currently recovering from abdominal surgery announced last week.
According to British media, the king visited him shortly before his operation.
This communication about the King's health, unusual from the monarchy, was intended to promote the study of this pathology, which is very common in men of a certain age and is generally not serious.
If left untreated, it can lead to progressive deterioration of bladder function and urinary tract infections.
The approach was successful: visits to the dedicated page of the NHS website, the British public health service, recorded more than 26,000 visits in 48 hours, compared to an average of 1,400 daily visits in the previous days.
Since the death of Elizabeth II on September 8, 2022 at the age of 96, the ruler has had a very busy schedule, at inaugurations, at charities or on the diplomatic front, traveling to Germany, France, Kenya or the COP23 climate conference or even by welcoming foreign heads of state.
Last week, Queen Camilla, Charles' wife, reassured that the king was “doing well” before his operation.