King Charles III’s imminent admission to hospital for treatment on an enlarged prostate is a reminder for men to carry out heath checks.
Meanwhile Kate, the Princess of Wales, has had planned abdominal surgery and will remain in hospital for 10 to 14 days.
The UK’s National Health Service advises that for men over 50, prostate checks are a key health prevention technique.
The King is being admitted with an enlarged prostate, a non-cancerous condition.
An enlarged prostate is common in men over 50 and does not usually pose a serious threat to health, the NHS says.
Referred to by medics as benign prostate enlargement, the condition does not put sufferers at a higher risk of developing prostate cancer.
Symptoms are often mild but can be “very troublesome” for some, the NHS website says.
When the prostate becomes enlarged, it can put pressure on the bladder and the urethra. This can cause sufferers to urinate more often and have difficulty when doing so.
It is not fully understood why some men develop the condition, but it is believed to be linked to hormonal changes as men age.
Patients may need to have several tests for the condition to rule out the possibility they have another illness, such as prostate cancer, according to the NHS.
Some of these tests can be done by a GP but others may need to be completed in hospital.
People with mild symptoms tend not to need immediate treatment and a doctor will decide when to schedule the next check-up.
Patients may be advised to drink less, consume fewer artificial sweeteners and exercise more often.
Medicine to reduce the size of the prostate and relax a patient's bladder may be recommended to treat moderate to severe symptoms.
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September marked King Charles III's first year as British monarch, here The National looks back at the past 12 months. All photos: Getty Images -
King Charles delivers his address to the nation from Buckingham Palace following the death of Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday, September 8, 2022 -
King Charles and Queen Camilla walk across the forecourt of Buckingham Palace, London, as he enters the palace for the first time as the new King in September 2022 -
King Charles during his first audience with Prime Minister Liz Truss at Buckingham Palace in September 2022 -
King Charles speaks during his proclamation as king during the accession council in London in September 2022 -
King Charles and Queen Camilla take part in an address in Westminster Hall in September 2022 -
King Charles, Prince Edward, Princess Anne, and Prince Andrew hold a vigil at St Giles' Cathedral, in honour of Queen Elizabeth in Edinburgh in September 2022 -
King Charles follows behind the coffin of Queen Elizabeth as it is carried out of Westminster Abbey after her state funeral in September 2022 -
King Charles drives past Wellington Arch during the funeral -
King Charles shakes hands with a boy as he visits Aberdeen Town House to meet families who have settled in Aberdeen from Afghanistan, Syria and Ukraine in October 2022 -
King Charles welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government in October 2022 -
King Charles reacts after an egg was thrown in his direction in York during a ceremony at Micklegate Bar where, traditionally, The Sovereign is welcomed to the city, in November 2022 -
King Charles speaks with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Stella McCartney and US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry during a reception at Buckingham Palace ahead of the Cop27 Summit in November 2022 -
King Charles plants a lime tree in the Buckingham Palace garden for the Queen's Green Canopy ahead of the Cop 27 Summit in November 2022 -
King Charles unveils a statue of Queen Elizabeth outside York Minster in November 2022 -
King Charles attends the Remembrance Sunday ceremony at the Cenotaph on Whitehall, London, in November 2022 -
Queen Camilla, King Charles and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa at the Grand Entrance of Buckingham Palace during a state visit in November 2022. This is the first state visit hosted by the UK with King Charles as monarch -
King Charles and Queen Camilla talk to co-owners of Wrexham AFC Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney during a visit to Wales in December 2022 -
King Charles during the recording of his first Christmas broadcast at Windsor Castle in December 2022 -
King Charles dances at a pre-Chanukah reception hosted on site for Holocaust survivors at the JW3 Community Centre in December 2022 in London -
King Charles and Queen Camilla meet members of the public during a visit to the Bangladeshi community of Brick Lane in London in February -
King Charles holds an audience with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at Buckingham Palace in February -
King Charles meets members of the Turkish diaspora community in February in Hounslow, West London -
King Charles speaks at the German Bundestag in March in Berlin, Germany -
First Lady Elke Buedenbender, Queen Camilla, King Charles and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier arrive for a Ceremonial welcome at Brandenburg Gate in Berlin in March -
King Charles greets people at York Minster for the Maunday Thursday Service in April -
King Charles inspects the 200th Sovereign's parade at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in April -
King Charles and Queen Camilla switch on stage lighting as they visit the host venue of the Eurovision Song Contest, the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool in April -
King Charles looks up as he receives the St Edward's Crown during his coronation ceremony in Westminster Abbey in May -
King Charles stands after being crowned in Westminster Abbey in May -
King Charles and Queen Camilla travelling in the Gold State Coach down The Mall on route to Buckingham Palace during the coronation in May -
King Charles arrives to receive a royal salute from members of the military in the gardens of Buckingham Palace following his coronation -
King Charles travels by train pulled by the Flying Scotsman in celebration of its 100th anniversary, in June -
Prince George, Prince Louis, Catherine, Princess of Wales, Princess Charlotte, Prince William, King Charles, Queen Camilla, Prince Edward, and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh stand on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to watch a fly-past of aircraft by the Royal Air Force during Trooping the Colour in June -
King Charles attends Royal Ascot in June -
King Charles and Queen Camilla pose with masquerade masks as they attend the Animal Ball at Lancaster House in London to mark the 20th anniversary of wildlife conservation charity Elephant Family in June -
Catherine, Princess of Wales and Prince William look on as King Charles is presented with the Crown of Scotland during the National Service of Thanksgiving and Dedication for King Charles and Queen Camilla at St Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh, Scotland in July -
King Charles and US President Joe Biden at Windsor Castle in July
Surgery tends to only be recommended for people with moderate to severe symptoms that have not responded to treatment, the NHS site says.
The condition can cause urine infections as well as chronic and acute urinary retention. Chronic urinary retention is when someone cannot empty their bladder fully.
Acute urinary retention occurs when someone can suddenly no longer urinate at all.
It also causes lower stomach pain and swelling on the bladder that a patient can feel with their hands.
Anyone with symptoms of AUR should go to hospital immediately.
