Buckingham and Kensington palaces announced procedures for King Charles, 75, and Princess of Wales, 42
Wed 17 Jan 2024 18.11
When Queen Elizabeth was admitted to hospital for a night in October 2021 for “preliminary investigations”, the first the public learned of her health concerns was a front page story in the Sun.
The monarch might have hoped not to cause a fuss, but the fact that royal reporters had been told she was advised to rest, but not that she was in hospital, led to feverish speculation over the true state of her health – and criticism of palace “secrecy”.
So it is perhaps unsurprising that the royal households took a markedly different approach on Wednesday, with twin announcements, just over an hour apart, that the Princess of Wales and King Charles were being treated for health concerns.
Catherine, 42, had been admitted to a private London hospital on Tuesday for planned abdominal surgery, Kensington Palace said in a statement, and was doing well. No further details of the princess’s “private medical information” were given, though the palace indicated there are no concerns over cancer.