King Charles III, the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom, was diagnosed with a “form of cancer,” the royal family said Monday, one week after he was released from the hospital for a prostate procedure and less than a year after his coronation in May 2023.
Charles was formally coronated after his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, died in 2022 at the age of 96—following the longest reign in the monarchy’s history. Charles was briefly hospitalized for a corrective procedure for an enlarged prostate on Friday, Jan. 26, before being discharged just days later on Jan. 29. The king rescheduled all of his public appearances and began a period of recuperation at Sandringham Palace in Norfolk, the royal family said in a brief statement. At the same time, Princess Catherine of Wales, the wife of Prince William, the next-in-line to the throne, was hospitalized on January 17 for abdominal surgery.
Although members of the monarchy have traditionally been very private about their health and private lives, Charles has so far been open about his current medical concerns. The monarch decided to go public with his prostate procedure as a way to encourage men to schedule exams for themselves, the BBC reported shortly after his hospitalization. The king appears to have chosen to reveal his cancer diagnosis for similar reasons—though details on the diagnosis still remain scant. “His majesty has chosen to share his diagnosis to prevent speculation and in the hope that it may assist public understanding for all those around the world who are affected by cancer,” the royal family said.