Why is Kate in hospital and who will fill in for her and King Charles now?

18 January 2024, 09:40 | Updated: 18 January 2024, 10:08

Both King Charles and Kate will spend time in hospital in the coming weeks in an unprecedented double royal health scare.

Kensington Palace made an announcement about Kate's treatment on Wednesday.

Just 90 minutes later, a separate statement was published by Buckingham Palace revealing that King Charles would be taking a short break too.

Why is King Charles in hospital?

The King is preparing for a corrective procedure after being diagnosed with a benign enlarged prostate.

The 75-year-old monarch, who acceded to the throne 16 months ago, will be admitted to hospital next week.

He was said to be keen to go public with his condition to encourage other men who may be experiencing symptoms to get checked.

Read more: Kate ‘doing well’ after successful abdominal surgery as William clears calendar while she recovers

Read more: King Charles to attend hospital next week for surgery on enlarged prostate, Buckingham Palace says

Why is the Princess of Wales in hospital?

Kate went to hospital for abdominal surgery on Tuesday, with sources saying she is "doing well".

She was admitted to the private London Clinic on Tuesday for the planned procedure.

How long will the Princess of Wales be in hospital?

Kate is expected to remain in hospital for 10-14 days before returning to Adelaide Cottage in Windsor.

However, she is not set to return to public duties until after Easter based on medical advice.

A statement read: “The surgery was successful and it is expected that she will remain in the hospital for ten to fourteen days, before returning home to continue her recovery.

“Based on the current medical advice she is unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter.”

The Princess of Wales apologised for having to step back from royal duties while she recovers from the surgery.

Prince William has also stepped back from all official duties for several weeks to help take care of Kate and their three children while she is in hospital.

Why is Kate staying in hospital for so long?

The Princess of Wales is expected to be in hospital for around two weeks.

Dr Deborah Lee, from Dr Fox Online Pharmacy, explained why her stay may be so long.

"For abdominal surgery, most people stay in the hospital for four to seven days," she told the Express.

"After laparoscopic surgery [a type of keyhole surgery], this is reduced to two to four days.

"It very much depends on what exactly has been done. If a patient needs to go to ITU, it's likely their hospital stay would be considerably longer.

"It can take two months or more for the patient to feel comfortable and be able to move around normally afterwards."

Who will fill in for Kate and King Charles?

With Charles, Kate and William set be out of action for at least a few weeks, other members of the royal family are expected to step up.

Princess Anne, Prince Edward and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, are likely to take on more duties to support the royal family.

Anne and Edward were both made Counsellors of State for King Charles in 2022, meaning they can carry out constitutional duties for their brother if needed.