The Queen was photographed in the back of the car with him as he arrived at the clinic.
Her decision to accompany her husband is unusual within the Royal family, with previous generations tending to visit hospital alone. She will be there to support her husband for the procedure.
King ‘raring’ to return to work
The King’s Serjeant Surgeon is Ranan Dasgupta, a urological surgeon who specialises in specific forms of treatment for an enlarged prostate and is based at the London Clinic.
Mr Dasgupta, who was appointed to the Medical Household last March, offers two treatments – aquablation therapy and prostate artery embolisation – for benign prostate hyperplasia, otherwise known as an enlarged prostate.
The King received his diagnosis just over a week ago, approving a statement from Buckingham Palace to give the public details of his condition in the hopes of raising awareness of the symptoms.
A press release was issued just 90 minutes after Kensington Palace confirmed that the Princess of Wales had undergone abdominal surgery on Wednesday Jan 17.
A spokesman for the King said at the time: “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.”
At the time, the King was at his Scottish residence at Birkhall and had cancelled a handful of engagements as a result of advice from doctors.
He has since flown for a weekend of rest at Sandringham, before returning to Clarence House on Thursday.
The Queen is said to have urged her husband, who is 75, to slow down but he is said to be “raring” to return to work following a short period of recuperation.
Palace aides have indicated that he will need several weeks off public engagements, but he is intended to resume his full schedule of UK and overseas visits once he has a clean bill of health. He will be able to complete some of his duties as sovereign, including his daily red boxes, from home.
After his diagnosis, the Queen said the King was “fine” and “looking forward to getting back to work”.
The King’s decision to share details of his medical condition led to a surge in the public seeking information about enlarged prostates.
NHS England said that since the King shared his diagnosis, the “enlarged prostate” page on the NHS website has received 26,170 visits in 48 hours, including another 9,760 visits on Thursday, compared with a daily average of 1,400 visits earlier in the week.
Prostate Cancer UK saw 8,025 visits to its online risk check service, of which 6,800 were noted as high risk, more than double the previous day.
A royal hospital
The Royal family has long favoured the London Clinic for treatment relating to abdominal conditions.
Elizabeth II was treated there for gastroenteritis in March 2013 and Prince Philip had an exploratory abdominal operation there the following month.
Amid the private hospital’s roster of leading consultants is Satyajit Bhattacharya, who served as Surgeon to the Royal Household from 2006 to 2016 and as the Serjeant Surgeon – the most senior surgeon in the Medical Household – to Elizabeth II from 2016 to 2023.
Mr Bhattacharya, known as Satya, is highly regarded by the Royal family and may well be treating the Princess, who was admitted last Tuesday for an undisclosed condition.
He has more than 20 years’ experience as a consultant surgeon, focusing on both open and keyhole surgery for gallstones, hernias, liver disease and pancreatic disease and led the specialist liver and pancreas service at Barts Health NHS Trust.
James Parker is a UK-based entertainment aficionado who delves into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry. From Hollywood to the West End, he offers readers an insider’s perspective on the world of movies, music, and pop culture.
