The statement said: “Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales was admitted to The London Clinic yesterday for planned abdominal surgery.
“The surgery was successful and it is expected that she will remain in 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.”
It added: “The Princess of Wales appreciates the interest this statement will generate. 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.
“Kensington Palace will, therefore, only provide updates on Her Royal Highness’ progress when there is significant new information to share.
“The Princess of Wales wishes to apologise to all those concerned for the fact that she has to postpone her upcoming engagements. She looks forward to reinstating as many as possible, as soon as possible.”
The Princess was not rushed to hospital and royal sources insisted that her admission was not due to a sudden development within the last few days. They confirmed that her condition was not cancer-related.
However, as recently as the end of last week, aides were planning engagements and appeared to expect the forthcoming tours to go ahead.
Check-up
Less than 90 minutes after the Kensington Palace announcement came a second, this time from Buckingham Palace, revealing that the King had an enlarged prostate.
His Majesty had received the diagnosis just hours earlier, having undergone a check-up earlier this week which was booked after he experienced symptoms connected to the condition, it is understood.
The statement said: “In common with thousands of men each year, the King has sought treatment for an enlarged prostate.
“His Majesty’s condition is benign and he will attend hospital next week for a corrective procedure. The King’s public engagements will be postponed for a short period of recuperation.”
The palace declined to say whether he would be treated in Scotland or return to London. He is expected to remain in hospital overnight.
The prospect of the King being in hospital while Prince William simultaneously pauses official duties to care for his wife raised concerns that Counsellors of State might be required to step in.
However, Buckingham Palace insisted that the move would not be necessary as the King would be conscious throughout the procedure and fully capable of discharging his duties as normal.
Sources said he would be back in action after what is likely to be a short recuperation period.
Shortage of senior royals
The dual hospitalisations mean that few senior royals are likely to be seen out and about in the coming weeks, with the Queen, the Princess Royal and the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh facing the prospect of an enhanced workload. The Queen, 76, is due to visit Swindon on Monday.
Health updates are expected only as and when appropriate. Kensington Palace declined to provide further information about the Princess’s condition but did not rule out the prospect that she may choose to speak publicly about it herself in the future. Palace sources said the Princess was “doing well” on Wednesday evening as she recovered from surgery.
The mother-of-three was last seen in public with the Royal family on Christmas Day, when she was pictured smiling and greeting wellwishers as she arrived at St Mary Magdalene Church in a long navy coat.
Two weeks later, on Jan 9, she spent her 42nd birthday privately with family in Windsor and the following day her three children, Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, eight, and Prince Louis, five, returned to school following the Christmas break.
The London Clinic has been used by members of the Royal family before.