London — At their most recent public outing, attending the annual Christmas Day church service in Sandringham, England, Britain's King Charles III and his daughter-in-law Princess Catherine were the picture of health. So, the twin announcements Wednesday that the future queen was already in a private London clinic recovering from abdominal surgery and the monarch is set to undergo treatment next week for an enlarged prostate came as a bit of a shock.
A palace source said it was the king himself who wanted to make the details of his diagnosis public — an important openness from the new monarch after being crowned only last year.
"More human than what they used to project"
"It's an area of the body that's generally very sensitive – people are squeamish about," said CBS News chief medical correspondent, Dr. John LaPook. "He's saying, 'Look, I'm a human. I have this problem, and here's how I'm going to take care of it.'"
The announcement about Charles came just an hour after it was revealed that Catherine, the Princess of Wales, or Kate as she's more often known, was recovering from what Kensington Palace called a "planned" abdominal surgery.
Kate Middleton to Undergo Surgery and Take Time to Recuperate
Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, is set to undergo surgery and will spend up to two weeks at a private London clinic for the procedure. Following the surgery, she will take several months to recuperate at home in Windsor. As a result, it is unlikely that she will return to her public duties until after Easter at the end of March. The palace has emphasized that the surgery is not cancer-related but has provided no further details, respecting Kate's desire for privacy.
While the royal family has a history of closely guarding their personal information, some Brits have welcomed the acknowledgement of their health issues. "I think it certainly shows that they're more human than what they used to project to the public," one Londoner told CBS News.
However, given Kate's relatively young age and overall good health, the limited information provided by the palace about her hospitalization may have surprised or concerned some people. Nonetheless, a veteran royal watcher and biographer believes this is typical behavior from the royal family. "The palace statement reflected the fact that the princess 'has always put herself as a mother first, and she doesn't want her children to be exposed to any kind of speculation or intrusion,'" said CBS News royal contributor Amanda Foreman.
Prince William to Temporarily Step Back from Royal Duties to Support Princess
Prince William, Kate's husband and the next in line to inherit the British throne, will also temporarily step back from his royal duties to be at the princess' side and to help care for their children, Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5, the palace said.
"The tradition has always been to err on the side of caution, and in particular, with the royal family, as we know there were instances in the young princes' growing up where they were incredibly scarred by media speculation about their mother" the late Princess Diana, Foreman told CBS News. "So, that mindfulness is why they have gone in this direction."
"An incredibly busy time for the princess"
Kate frequently polls as one of the most popular members of the royal family. Since the death of Queen Elizabeth II, and in the wake of her brother and sister-in-law Harry and Meghan's sensational exit from royal life, she has increasingly undertaken public engagements on her own.
Foreman said Kate was being side-lined from those royal duties at "an incredibly busy time for the Princess of Wales," noting the looming landmark dates on the Christian calendar around Easter.
According to a spokesperson, the royal family's involvement in various activities requires them to be physically active. This is particularly true for Kate, who is an ambassador for mental health and children. She is constantly standing up, sitting down, kneeling, and picking up, which means she needs to be cautious and take care of her physical health.
The expected recovery time for Kate's condition is significant, but it's important to note that there are medical procedures that can require long recovery times without being life-threatening. For example, a hysterectomy can take weeks to recover from.
The spokesperson also mentioned that there are certain procedures that people prefer not to discuss as they are personal to them. Therefore, it is understandable that the details of Kate's condition are not being disclosed.
