Queen Camilla has gone to hospital with her husband King Charles this morning, in what has been dubbed a “very unusual” move.
When members of the Royal Family undergo hospital treatment, it is not common for their spouses to accompany them. Instead, they usually head in for the procedure alone.
ITV’s Royal Editor Chris Ship noted the change in precedent, writing on X: “Queen Camilla has gone into the hospital with King Charles. Whilst this might seem normal for most families, it is very unusual for the Royal Family to accompany their spouse like this (the late Queen and Prince Philip always went into hospital on their own.)”
It is another example of how the King is adopting a modern approach to health complaints, first by going into detail about his surgery and now by having his wife’s support throughout his treatment.
On January 17 Buckingham Palace released a statement confirming that His Majesty would undergo a routine procedure for an enlarged prostate.
It read: “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.”
It is believed the King wished to be so open about his condition in order to encourage other men to get checked out, an unusual move as his mother Queen Elizabeth kept her health issues later in her life private.
Royal historian Dr Tessa Dunlop told The Mirror: “Buckingham Palace doesn’t do spontaneity; the release of a statement containing private matters about the King’s health immediately after news of the Princess of Wales’ major abdominal surgery was deliberate.
“The timing deflected from his daughter-in-law’s major operation, likewise, the private detail concerning his prostate gave the public something else to think about.”
Last Sunday the royals received another health blow as Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, revealed she has been diagnosed with malignant melanoma just months after she was treated for breast cancer.