The King and Queen Camilla were photographed walking to their car as they departed the London Clinic after Charles had been treated in the same hospital as his daughter-in-law the Princess of Wales.
The pair, dressed smartly and beaming, waved to well-wishers outside the hospital at 3pm. As he left, the King was heard to say that he was “grateful for everyone’s kind wishes”, thanking the crowd that had gathered outside.
He has been in hospital for three nights, longer than the overnight stay initially expected. Aides have emphasised his determination to work from home, continuing with his red boxes and even mooting the idea of bringing paperwork to his bed.
It is understood he will require around a month off from public engagements – the longest he has been off-duty as monarch.
Charles leaves hospital with Camilla. Photo / Getty Images
A Buckingham Palace spokesman said: “The King was this afternoon discharged from hospital following planned medical treatment and has rescheduled forthcoming public engagements to allow for a period of private recuperation.
“He would like to thank the medical team and all those involved in supporting his hospital visit, and is grateful for all the kind messages he has received in recent days.”
The 75-year-old has generally enjoyed good health, other than sporting injuries as a younger man. In 2008, he had a non-cancerous growth removed from the bridge of his nose in a minor, routine procedure, and underwent a hernia operation in 2003.
He has had Covid twice, but suffered only mild symptoms and continued to work through it.
The King was heard thanking well-wishers outside the hospital. Photo / Getty Images
Last week, he was admitted to the London Clinic for treatment for an enlarged prostate. The Queen was with him, and he is understood to have visited the Princess of Wales before his surgery.
The princess had been recuperating at the London Clinic after undergoing abdominal surgery last week, and was discharged on Monday.
The King received his diagnosis nearly two weeks ago, approving a statement from Buckingham Palace to give details of his condition in the hope of raising awareness of its symptoms.
NHS England said that after Charles shared news of the diagnosis, the “enlarged prostate” page on the NHS website received 26,170 visits in 48 hours, including another 9760 visits on Thursday, compared with a daily average of 1400 visits earlier in the week.
Prostate Cancer UK had 8025 visits to its online risk check service, of which 6800 were noted as high risk, more than double the previous day.
The King smiles at well-wishers as he leaves the London Clinic after treatment. Photo / Getty Images
On January 17, a spokesman for the monarch said: “In common with thousands of men each year, the King has sought treatment for an enlarged prostate.
At the time, the King was at his Scottish residence at Birkhall, Aberdeenshire, and had cancelled a handful of engagements as a result of advice from doctors. He has since been at Sandringham and Clarence House as he awaited his treatment.
After his diagnosis, the Queen said the King was “fine” and “looking forward to getting back to work”. She visited him five times in hospital.
