UPDATE: Stay Extended? King Charles Spends Third Night in Hospital

The King has spent an apparently unexpected third night recovering at a private London hospital after a procedure on his prostate, triggering “some unease”, it is claimed.

King Charles III was admitted to a historic private London hospital on Friday for a “corrective procedure” on an enlarged prostate, but three days later has not yet been discharged. It was originally reported his stay was to be a brief one, before weeks of recovery at home.

Update 1510: King Released From Hospital

The King left the London Clinic private hospital on Monday afternoon. The BBC reports he walked out, suggesting his recovery is going well.

The King had spent three nights at the hospital, longer than the reportedly planned two, suggesting things had not progressed as quickly as planned.

The Princess of Wales, the presumptive future Queen, was discharged from the same hospital this morning, having been admitted on Tuesday 16th for abdominal surgery. Read more here.

The original story continues below

British tabloid The Sun, citing an anonymous palace source, reports the King had intended to spend two nights after his surgery and would stay longer only in the case of an “unexpected issue”. They reported that it was said: “The extra stay is entirely precautionary but has nevertheless reportedly caused some unease. It’s now expected Charles will have to avoid public jobs for at least a month on medical advice.”

It had previously been stated by the palace that the King’s engagements would be postponed for a period of recovery after the surgery.

The Queen was photographed visiting King Charles on Sunday, his third day at the historic London Clinic private hospital. She had previously said to journalists waiting for her outside the hospital on Friday, the first day of his treatment, that the King was “doing well”.

The fact the King was being admitted to hospital had been made public by the Palace last week marked a significant shift in the Royalty’s attitude to commenting on personal matters, which in the late Queen’s time had been considered private and to be kept out of the public eye. The King is understood to have made his own treatment for the benign and non-cancerous enlarged prostate treatment public to encourage other men to come forward for treatment.

The King is at the same London hospital as his daughter-in-law, the Princess of Wales and future Queen, Katherine. Kate was admitted last week for apparently serious abdominal surgery and is expected to remain in hospital for weeks, before convalescing at home for months. Her husband, the Prince of Wales is taking time off Royal duties to help care for their children, meaning for several weeks at least the monarchy will be without several of its biggest names performing front-line duties.

King Charles III is the King of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Papua New Guinea, and ten other Commonwealth Realms besides. As a Constitutional monarch, his assent is required for the passing of laws but in practice this is now a mere formality, and he acts on the advice of his Prime Minister and Parliament. Charles ascended the throne in 2022 after the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, who had a record-breaking reign of over 70 years.