The announcement, less than three weeks ago, that King Charles was seeking treatment for a benign enlarged prostate led to widespread praise for what seemed to be a new strategy of royal openness, after decades of discretion, and occasional concealment, regarding the health of Queen Elizabeth.
The king had personally wanted the details of his treatment to be made public, the palace let it be known – in part to encourage other men who might be experiencing symptoms to get checked out. Searches for the condition on the NHS website went up, and the public was assured he would be back at work soon.
