In an official statement shared with the public on January 18, 2024, Buckingham Palace revealed that the 75-year-old would be hospitalised briefly, and would be postponing his upcoming royal engagements as he recovered.
It is widely understood that the monarch made a deliberate decision to share the details of his health diagnosis as a means of encouraging other men who may be experiencing symptoms in line with the condition.
According to the NHS website: "Benign prostate enlargement (BPE) is the medical term to describe an enlarged prostate, a condition that can affect how you pee (urinate). BPE is common in men aged over 50. It's not a cancer and it's not usually a serious threat to health."
Whilst it's unclear what the corrective procedure entailed and how serious Charles' condition is, symptoms the King may be suffering from include straining to pee, finding it difficult to start peeing, having a weak flow of urine, urinary incontinence, and needing to pee frequently.
Usually, surgery is only a recommended course of action for moderate to severe symptoms that have not responded to medicine.
The official statement released by Buckingham Palace read: "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."
King Charles' last public appearance prior to his admittance was on January 14th, where he was photographed attending a church service at Crathie Kirk, near his beloved Balmoral Estate with his wife Queen Camilla.
The couple have been enjoying some downtime at their Scottish home, Birkhall after spending Christmas at Sandringham.
In a statement of her own released on the same day as her father-in-law's, Catherine, Princess of Wales also revealed she had recently undergone a planned surgery in her abdomen.
"The surgery was successful and it is expected that she will remain in hospital for ten to fourteen days, before returning home to continue her recovery. Based on current medical advice, she is unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter," Kensington Palace shared.