There were definitely a few raised eyebrows when news broke that both Kate Middleton and King Charles III were either recovering from surgery or about to undergo a surgical procedure. As of now, the Princess of Wales is still recovering from her planned abdominal surgery and the reigning monarch will undergo a procedure to deal with an enlarged prostate. Why were the two medical procedures announced simultaneously? One royal writer is weighing in.
Victoria Murphy, a contributing editor to Town & Country and the author of The Queen: A Life in Pictures, believes this might all just be coincidence. “To provide some context here, the royal family understandably generally try to keep details of their health as private as possible, however when they are forced to cancel public engagements or when a senior royal is admitted to hospital the public is generally informed in some form,” Murphy writes. Based on the decision to announce the Princess of Wales‘ surgery after it had taken place, Murphy believes the statement was “clearly planned.”
Kate Middleton underwent planned abdominal surgery and is expected to have a long recovery until early spring. https://t.co/hes7oplrdo
— SheKnows (@SheKnows) January 17, 2024
King Charles’ case is a little more different. “When it comes to the announcement about the King, the impression is that the decision to announce this today was hastier and a result of having to postpone meetings at the last minute on the advice of a doctor.” According to Murphy, the monarch had a full schedule ready to attend to, but his health took priority.
Murphy writes that, ultimately, “the fact that these announcements were made within hours of each other does seem to have been something of a coincidence.” Indeed, though we can never be sure, we can safely assume there was likely little-to-no coordination between Buckingham Palace and the Princess of Wales’ team on these matters. Looking ahead, however, it does put the British royal family in a prickly situation.
With the Princess of Wales likely recovering until Easter, and King Charles tending to his own health, a number of public appearances and royal engagements have taken a back seat. Yes, of course Prince William can attend to his royal duties, as well as those of his father and king. But his priority right now is being with his wife and children. The news of both royals’ surgeries has definitely caused some experts to wonder if King Charles’ “slimmed down” monarchy is really working. But only time will tell how the royals will manage the rest of 2024.
Before you go, click here to see the 100 best photos of the royal family from the past 20 years.
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