As you've likely heard by now, both King Charles and Princess Kate have unfortunately had to visit hospital over the last two weeks, but there was a major difference between the two royals' announcements about it: the amount of detail shared.
While the King told the public that he would be treated for an enlarged prostate, the Princess of Wales declined to share her exact diagnosis, opting instead to reveal that she had undergone a "planned abdominal surgery."
Though Kate is entitled to her privacy without needing a justification for it, there is apparently a very good reason why Charles decided to disclose his own diagnosis.
"It was sensible to be more open about it, as otherwise, people might have thought the worst," a palace insider told People. Of course, we've lost one monarch — the late Queen Elizabeth II — recently enough that it still feels rather raw, and because Charles is 75 years old, royal fans could have been more concerned about his health than they needed to be had he not shared why he was undergoing treatment.
Hannah Furness, royal editor at The Telegraph, has previously commented on the novelty of these twin announcements, saying: "For this level of openness, carefully formed via Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace statements, is unprecedented."
Palace aides stressed the importance of privacy in their original announcement of Kate's hospital visit. "The Princess of Wales appreciates the interest this statement will generate," they wrote. "She hopes that the public will understand her desire to maintain as much normality for her children as possible; and her wish that her personal medical information remains private."
The Princess is currently recovering in hospital for a few more days before she is due to return home, and is not expected to resume her royal duties until at least after Easter.
A statement from Kensington Palace pic.twitter.com/6h3BCrqj5LJanuary 17, 2024
