Prince Harry may have learned about his father, King Charles III's prostate diagnosis along with the public, according to royal reporter Victoria Ward. The monarch will undergo surgery next week for an enlarged prostate.
Ward wrote on The Telegraph that Buckingham Palace informed the Duke of Sussex about his father's condition. But he is thought to have already read about it from the news given the time difference between the U.K. and where the duke lives in California.
"The Duke of Sussex may not have found out about the King's prostate diagnosis before the news was made public. Buckingham Palace did make efforts to inform all senior members of the Royal family and that included relaying a message to Prince Harry," she wrote.
She noted that the public announcement about the monarch's prostate diagnosis was made at 3:25 p.m. U.K. time, which was 7:25 a.m. in California. However, a representative for the palace and for Prince Harry refused to comment, according to Ward, who claimed that "each side is keen not to stir up further tensions, aware that any kind of declaration could plunge relations to a new low".
Nonetheless, she pointed out "the development was reminiscent of the breakdown in communications when (Queen) Elizabeth II died in September 2022". The 39-year-old learned that his grandmother had died only after he landed in Scotland and from a news alert. He was mid-air when her death was announced to the public.
Prince Harry was en route to Balmoral to be with the Queen and the rest of the royal family when he receive a message from his wife, Meghan Markle.
"When the plane started to descend I saw that my phone lit up. It was a message from Meg: 'Call me when you get this,'" Harry writes in his memoir "Spare," released on Jan. 10, 2023.
He adds: "I looked at the BBC website. My grandmother had died. My father was King."
Buckingham Palace announced on Wednesday that King Charles III "has sought treatment for an enlarged prostate" and that his "condition is benign". He is scheduled to "attend hospital next week for a corrective procedure. The King's public engagements will be postponed for a short period of recuperation".
Meanwhile, Kate Middleton is also at The London Clinic recovering from an abdominal surgery on Tuesday and will remain there for 14 days. As King Charles III prepares to have his surgery and the Princess of Wales recuperates, Prince Harry is set to receive an award at the "21st Living Legends of Aviation" ceremony in Beverly Hills on Friday, Jan. 19.
