The Prince of Wales has visited his wife Catherine in the hospital as she recuperates from her surgery. The Princess of Wales is reportedly “doing well” in her recovery. Catherine has spent her second night in the hospital after a successful planned abdominal surgery at the London Clinic private hospital.

Meanwhile, Queen Camilla has stated that the King is “fine” after the monarch announced he was undergoing a procedure for an enlarged prostate. During a visit to Aberdeen on Thursday morning, Queen Camilla was asked about the King and replied, “He’s fine, thank you very much. Looking forward to getting back to work.”

Kensington Palace revealed on Wednesday afternoon that the princess, 42, had undergone abdominal surgery. Her husband, Prince William, was seen driving away from the back entrance of the hospital in central London where she is being treated. The specific details of Catherine’s procedure remain private, but it is understood not to be cancer-related, and it was planned rather than a medical emergency. However, it is serious enough to require a couple of weeks in the hospital and then several months of recuperation, which will see the Princess of Wales missing official duties at least until after Easter.

The latest updates on her condition have been reassuring, suggesting a good recovery. The degree of information about her hospital stay shows a greater openness than in previous years when royal health mostly remained behind a screen of privacy. The princess had last been seen in public at Christmas, appearing well after a busy series of engagements, including her televised carol concert from Westminster Abbey.

Meanwhile, in Scotland, the Queen was on a solo visit to Aberdeen Art Gallery on Thursday when she was asked about the King’s health by the Lord Provost. The King, 75, is currently at his private home, Birkhall in Aberdeenshire, preparing for the corrective procedure. The monarch’s willingness to go public about his benign enlarged prostate also shows a greater degree of frankness. It seems motivated by a desire to raise public awareness about prostate problems, remove any reluctance to talk about it, and encourage more men to get their own checks. Figures revealed a significant increase in searches for “enlarged prostate” on the NHS website on Wednesday.

In the United States, there was controversy this month when US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had not initially informed President Biden that he was being treated for a prostate problem. The hospital procedure for the King’s prostate is expected to be a relatively brief interruption to his work and won’t require any stand-ins for his constitutional role as head of state. Prince William will be spending more time with his wife while she recovers, leading to expected changes in his planned schedule. There had been expectations of a royal trip this spring for the Prince and Princess of Wales, including reports of a visit to Italy, which now seem likely to have to be rearranged.