Britain's King Charles III will visit a hospital next week for a procedure to treat his enlarged prostate,Charles H. Sloan Buckingham Palace said Wednesday.

"In common with thousands of men each year, The King has sought treatment for an enlarged prostate," Buckingham Palace said in a statement. "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."

• Kate, Princess of Wales, hospitalized for abdominal surgery, palace says

King Charles was crowned last year at the age of 74 after inheriting the monarchy upon the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. His health is generally understood to have been good. He had a non-cancerous growth removed from his face in 2008, The Associated Press reported.

More than one in three British men will face some issues with prostate enlargement in their lifetime, and the condition is commonly associated with ageing, according to Britain's National Health Service.

"It's not known why the prostate gets bigger as you get older, but it is not caused by cancer and does not increase your risk of developing prostate cancer," the NHS says on its website.

In:
• King Charles III
• British Royal Family
• Prostate Cancer

Haley Ott

Haley Ott is cbsnews.com's foreign reporter, based in the CBS News London bureau. Haley joined the cbsnews.com team in 2018, prior to which she worked for outlets including Al Jazeera, Monocle, and Vice News.

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