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There has been concern in Britain over the past 24 hours after it was revealed that health issues are forcing two of the most senior royals out of the public eye.
King Charles is set to undergo a corrective procedure for an enlarged prostate next week, while his daughter-in-law, Catherine, remains in hospital following a successful abdominal operation. William will also take a step back from duties to support his wife.
The announcements dominated newspapers in the United Kingdom on Thursday, with headlines such as “Let’s pray that they’re both OK” leading the Daily Mail and “Royals rocked by Kate op” emblazoned on the front page of the Sun.
With the 75-year-old British monarch, the announcement was made on Wednesday as he was expected in Scotland at his Dumfries House for a series of engagements in the days ahead, a royal source revealed.
Those events have now been delayed, it would appear, on the advice of the king’s doctors. According to the source, the palace didn’t want to make guests – including foreign dignitaries and cabinet members – travel when they didn’t need to, which is why a short statement was issued.
Generally, the palace doesn’t like to release details on the specific health conditions of the Windsor family. It’s not that they are being cagey and duplicitous, but aides believe that the family has the same right to patient confidentiality as everyone else. And when they are in or going into hospital, the palace has a duty to let the public know.
However, in this instance, the palace made a point of highlighting in its three-line statement that Charles’ condition is “in common with thousands of men each year.” Additionally, a royal source told us that the monarch was keen to share his diagnosis as it could encourage other men to get check-ups.
With the king’s operation, some have naturally asked what’s happening in his absence. A royal source said they don’t expect any Counselors of State - the senior royals who can stand in for Charles - will be needed next week.
Currently, Princes William, Harry, Andrew and Edward, as well as Princess Anne, are able to fulfil Charles’ duties in his absence.
News of Charles’ treatment came as a shock to many when Kensington Palace had separately announced Catherine’s lengthy hospital stay only 90 minutes before.
Although the king is only expected to delay his diary for a short period while he recovers, Kate will be out of action for a significantly longer period of time. “Based on the current medical advice, she is unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter,” Kensington Palace said.
The Princess of Wales was seen over Christmas with the family in Sandringham and appeared well at various public engagements, notes CNN royal historian Kate Williams.
“She was very busy in December. She had the carol service and she was doing all kinds of engagements with her Royal Foundation for Early Childhood, so I think there’ll be a lot of engagements that have to be postponed now,” Williams added.
But she hasn’t been spotted publicly since. With Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis restarting school last week, it would only have been a matter of time before the public noticed Catherine’s absence had the royal household not made its announcement this week.
Resting for several months at her Windsor home will be a very different change of pace for the mom-of-three, who is well known for being a hands-on parent who is heavily involved at her children’s schools. Her public commitments - which saw her conduct more than 120 engagements last year - are fitted around her schedule at home.
Her husband, Prince William, will juggle childcare while being by her side as she recovers, another royal source said. That means William won’t be conducting any official duties while she’s still in hospital or when she first gets home.
When the couple started a family, they were keen to ensure their children had as normal an upbringing as possible. They don’t have live-in staff or nannies and prefer to handle school pick ups themselves. That’s not to say they won’t have support. Kate’s parents live nearby and they could always lean on staff from Windsor Castle but their preference has been to do it themselves.
The couple have also canceled all travel for the foreseeable future. William and Kate usually travel early in the year but will also now miss an expected international spring tour.
The palace statement that she will be off diary until after Easter means she’ll likely miss several high-profile events, including the British Academy Film Awards (they usually go as Prince William is president of the academy) and the annual Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey.
Kate holds the role of honorary Colonel of the Irish Guards but the prognosis suggests she’ll be forced to forgo St. Patrick’s Day celebrations with the regiment. She’s also the patron of English rugby but will have to skip any appearances at the Six Nations tournament, which kicks off in early February.
News of the princess’ medical procedure came as a shock, but the royal source did make it clear that it was not related to cancer.
With all this in mind, the monarchy still needs a public facing royal and that will come in the form of Queen Camilla. Princess Anne, Prince Edward and his wife Sophie will of course continue with their own duties and obligations but they don’t have quite the same heft as the most senior of the family.
The institution will be keen to reassure Britons that nothing is amiss and as such expect to see Camilla will be out and about next week.
In the weeks ahead, King Charles will still be handling the business of the monarchy behind the scenes and the Waleses will be kept informed and offering advice as needed. But it’ll be left to Camilla to step into the void.
