LONDON – Britain's King Charles III will undergo a “corrective procedure” in hospital next week, Buckingham Palace said on Wednesday.
“Common to thousands of men each year, King sought treatment for an enlarged prostate,” the report said. “His Majesty's condition is benign and he will go to hospital next week for a proper procedure.”
It added that the 75-year-old monarch's “public engagements will be postponed for a short period of recovery”.
A Buckingham Palace source told NBC News that Charles was “keen to share details of his diagnosis to encourage other men experiencing symptoms to get tested, in line with public health advice”.
The announcement comes on the same day that Kate, Princess of Wales, underwent planned stomach surgery and will be hospitalized for up to two weeks.
The 42-year-old wife of Prince William, Charles' eldest son and heir to the throne, will take an extended break from public appearances and personal engagements, a Kensington Palace statement said.
Charles, who accepted the abdication following the death of his mother Elizabeth II in September 2022, was crowned king at London's Westminster Abbey last May.
Elizabeth, who died at the age of 96, was on the throne for a record 70 years. He was 27 when he was crowned in 1953 – an era-defining moment shown for the first time on the still-new medium of television.
In contrast, Charles was a veteran monarch who, before his coronation, had traveled the world several times to represent the country.
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