King Charles has been admitted to hospital for a corrective procedure for an enlarged prostate and will stay in hospital for two nights. But the monarch is refusing to take a step back from royal duties and has not appointed a counsellor of state to step in for him.
This is because he plans to continue to work on State business during his period of recovery – even from his hospital bed. The 75-year-old will still carry out his vital constitutional role dealing with government papers and the Red Boxes over the weekend and get properly stuck in once discharged. Even despite reports that Queen Camilla asked him “to slow down a bit”.
His dedication to his role as head of state was further highlighted by the timing of his prostate surgery, scheduled for a Friday. It is surely no coincidence that the procedure was planned for the final day of the working week, meaning the King’s two-night hospital stay falls on the weekend.
Such a move will minimise any disruption to his stately duties and ensures he’s resting back at home come Monday morning.
The King’s hard-working nature has been well documented over the decades, with Prince William remarking that “the man never stops” and Prince Harry adding that their father eats dinner “ridiculously late at night” because he’s so absorbed in his work.
The siblings made the comments in a programme to mark the King’s 70th birthday in November 2018.
The Duke of Sussex told the documentary Prince, Son and Heir — Charles at 70: “He does need to slow down. This is a man who has dinner ridiculously late at night. And then goes to his desk later that night and will fall asleep on his notes to the point of where he’ll wake up with a piece of paper stuck to his face.”
The King clearly has an unwavering commitment to serve the UK and the Commonwealth, something he undoubtedly learned from the late Queen Elizabeth who worked right up until the end. But while his sense of duty is admirable, he must not push his body beyond its limits.
The procedure for an enlarged prostate is no mean feat and medical experts typically advise recuperating for up to two weeks at home following the surgery. Such post-operative care is standard practice to ensure a full and uncomplicated recovery
During this time, the King needs to take it easy and keep work to a bare minimum, as he will be in some discomfort for several days.
There’s a reason why the Regency Act of 1937 was put in place, and Charles should lean on his counsellors of state to step in for him while he focuses on getting back to full strength.
