Land two nights of hospitalization became three for King Charles III. The surgery to correct his enlarged prostate, which he underwent on Friday at the London Clinic – the same one where Kate Middleton is hospitalized – went well. But the sovereign remains in hospital and Buckingham Palace, which upon the announcement of Charles’ imminent hospitalization had shown every intention of keeping its subjects informed, in reality is now hiding behind a wall of secrecy.
King Charles III, hospitalization longer than expected
A third unplanned, and so far unjustified, night was enough to trigger the British media, who are starting to get suspicious about the true state of health of the 75-year-old monarch. The operation was as successful as hoped, the court was told. But Buckingham Palace had planned Charles’s entire stay in advance and all his movements upon leaving the hospital. The “unscheduled event” took his collaborators by surprise, forcing them to completely review the Royal plans for the next few weeks.
Camilla also arouses suspicion
Sitting next to the driver of the Royal car who took her to the London Clinic every day, the Queen appeared relaxed and smiling. Although she and her sister-in-law Anna of England took on almost all of her husband’s daily commitments, last weekend Queen Camilla visited Charles twice a day, during lunch and dinner times, remaining with him for more than three hours. But his reassuring smile fails to calm his spirits: the king’s prolonged absence now worries the family too.
Charles and Camilla on their Coronation day, London, 6 May 2023 (Hugo Burnand/Royal Household 2023/PA Wire / Avalon)
Rumors are increasing about the abdication of King Charles III
On the advice of doctors, King Charles has already canceled an entire month of commitments, for a period of convalescence and rest which he has decided to spend at Highgrove, his country residence. However, his current absence has given rise to speculation on the possibility that the king, worried about his health and the pace of work that he is forced to support at court, could decide to “retire”.
Will King Charles abdicate in favor of his son William?
According to Buckingham Palace and friends who know him well, Carlo doesn’t even think about abdicating. Like his mother Elizabeth, the king intends to remain in the service of his subjects until the end of his days. But his latest public appearances have revealed an increasingly tired and worried face.
Queen Camilla visits her husband in hospital, London, January 28, 2024 (Karwai Tang/WireImage)
William prepares for a possible regency
Unlike Buckingham Palace, the British media are, in fact, putting forward the hypothesis that Charles is having second thoughts and, following the recent example of Queen Margaret of Denmark, has already considered the possibility of “retirement”. His transitory kingdom it could end sooner than you think but, instead of officially leaving the throne, handing over the scepter and crown, the king could simply pass on most of his duties to his son. William would thus become a full-fledged regent.
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