By Ben Kerrigan-
King Charles III has been released from hospital after successful treatment for an enlarged prostate.
The King and Queen were photographed walking to their car as they departed the London Clinic after Charles had spent three days in the same hospital as his daughter-in-law the Princess of Wales.
The pair waved to well-wishers, dressed smartly and beaming, almost as if they were on an ordinary public engagement.
The King has been in hospital for three nights, and will now require around a month off public engagements, the longest period he has been off duty.
His release from hospital comes on the same day that the Princess of Wales left hospital almost two weeks after having abdominal surgery.
A statement from Kensington Palace said the princess has now returned to her home in Windsor and that she is “making good progress”.
She was driven away from the London Clinic private hospital without any public appearance.
The exact nature of the surgery has not been revealed, but the princess will need months of recuperation.
King Charles was treated for an enlarged prostate at the same hospital and the arrival of Queen Camilla there this afternoon has raised expectations that he will also be leaving.
The king’s release from hospital comes on the same day the Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton, came out of hospital too.
She had spent 13 nights in hospital since her operation and is not expected to return to official duties until after Easter.
She has not appeared in public since Christmas Day and went into hospital and left this morning without being spotted.
Kensington Palace said the Prince and Princess of Wales wanted to send a “huge thank you” to the medical team at the central London hospital and for the “well wishes they have received from around the world”.
The palace statement said the princess would “continue her recovery” from home, which is expected to be Adelaide Cottage in Windsor.
Kate will return to her children and her husband Prince William, who was seen visiting his wife during her stay in hospital.
Catherine, 42, was staying in the same private hospital as the King, who visited her before he had a procedure for an enlarged prostate on Friday.
The King remains in hospital after being treated for a benign prostate problem, which is non-cancerous, and a common condition in older men, according to the NHS.
About one in three men over the age of 50 will have some symptoms of an enlarged prostate, which is a gland that sits just below the bladder.
The plan for King Charles, aged 75, to have “corrective procedure” for his prostate was made public as a way of encouraging other men to get prostate checks.
The NHS website recorded a surge in searches about enlarged prostates and the King was “delighted to learn that his diagnosis is having a positive impact on public health awareness”.