Britain's King Charles III discharged from hospital after prostate treatment
Britain's King Charles III was discharged from a private London hospital after a scheduled treatment for an enlarged prostate, Buckingham Palace said in a statement Monday. The palace said the monarch had "rescheduled forthcoming public engagements to allow for a period of private recuperation."
The palace said when it first announced his upcoming the procedure that the king's condition is benign, and last week it relayed a message from Charles saying he was "delighted to learn that his diagnosis is having a positive impact on public health awareness."
No further updates on the king's treatment were provided before his release on Monday, and it was unclear how long he would be away from his work during recovery.
"In common with thousands of men each year, The King has sought treatment for an enlarged prostate," Buckingham Palace said in its initial statement announcing the unspecified "corrective procedure". It said his public engagements would "be postponed for a short period of recuperation."
Charles was admitted to the same private clinic where his daughter-in-law, Kate, the Princess of Wales, underwent an unspecified abdominal surgery. She was also back at home in Windsor recovering well on Monday, according to a statement issued earlier by Kensington Palace.
Charles was crowned last year at the age of 74 after inheriting the monarchy upon the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. His health is generally understood to have been good. He had a non-cancerous growth removed from his face in 2008, The Associated Press reported.
More than one in three British men will face some issues with prostate enlargement in their lifetime, and the condition is commonly associated with ageing, according to Britain's National Health Service.
"It's not known why the prostate gets bigger as you get older, but it is not caused by cancer and does not increase your risk of developing prostate cancer," the NHS says on its website.