Britain’s King Charles III is set to go to a hospital next week to undergo an operation for an enlarged prostate, announced Buckingham Palace on Wednesday, shortly after it was announced that Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales, would remain hospitalised in a private hospital in London for two weeks after undergoing abdominal surgery.

The Buckingham Palace on Wednesday said King Charles’ condition was benign and his public engagements would be postponed for a short period of recuperation, reported BBC. It is unusual for medical updates about two senior royals on the same day, but it was done to avoid speculation if events featuring Charles or Kate have to be postponed or cancelled over the coming weeks.

King Charles had been due to meet foreign dignitaries and cabinet members in Scotland on Thursday, but those meetings have been cancelled on medical grounds. However, benign prostate enlargement – which is non-cancerous – is common in men over 50 and is not usually a serious condition, according to the UK’s National Health Service (NHS).

The UK and foreign media have been focused on the health of Britain’s senior royals in recent years, first as the late Queen Elizabeth II faded from public view during the last months of her 70-year reign, then when Charles ascended the throne at an age when most of his contemporaries were long retired.

Meanwhile, the 42-year-old Kate was admitted to The London Clinic on Tuesday. The Kensington Palace said her abdominal procedure was successful and non-cancerous, but did not release specific details about the treatment. Kate apologised for postponing upcoming engagements, and the palace said she wouldn’t return to public duties until after Easter, Kensington Palace said.

“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,” said the palace.

After Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s dramatic departure to California in 2020, Prince William and the Princess of Wales have solidified their position as being among the most popular members of the royal family. Kate, in particular, has remained a reliable royal in the public eye — the smiling mother of three who can comfort grieving parents at a children’s hospice or wow the nation by playing piano during a televised Christmas concert.

(with inputs from AP)

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