King Charles chose same London clinic for prostate surgery as Kate’s abdominal op ‘to save £14k security bill’
He made a special visit before heading into the op
KING Charles reportedly chose to be treated at the same hospital as the Princess of Wales to save taxpayers’ money.
Charles and Kate were both “doing well” last night as they recovered from operations at The London Clinic in Marylebone.
Charles went in yesterday for an enlarged prostate procedure.
And Kate could leave the London hospital today after abdominal surgery last week.
Now it has emerged that Charles wanted to be treated at the hospital to avoid a double security bill.
If Charles had chosen to have surgery at the Royal Family’s favoured hospital – King Edward VII’s – a second bodyguard detail may have costed up to £14,000 more.
“With the Princess similarly at the Clinic, shared resourcing has been possible with regards to public policing,” an insider told .
John Moore, Managing Director of , added: “The Met Police could be saving as much as £20,000 over the weekend with King Charles and Princess Kate colocating at the same private hospital by sharing security resources.”
It comes as caring Camilla spent six hours at his side during the day and returned to the London Clinic for another 90 minutes last night.
Charles, 75, smiled as the pair walked in together at 8.45am.
The King then visited his daughter-in-law, the Princess of Wales — who is recovering from abdominal surgery 11 days ago — before his own op.
And in a major boost for the family, both senior royals are “doing well” and could return home this weekend.
When Camilla left at 3pm, she gave a cheery wave to fans. Before stepping into a car, she told wellwishers: “He’s fine, thank you.”
Last night, her car dropped her at 6.34pm and she was seen leaving just before 8pm.
Camilla’s presence was unusual given the late Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip normally went into hospital on their own.
The King could be discharged as early as tomorrow — after two days’ rest — if royal doctors allow it.
He could stay longer if there are any complications.
And the Princess of Wales, 42, may return home to Windsor today to continue her road back to health.
It is the first time the King and future Queen have been treated in the same hospital at the same time.
FIT FOR A KING
What is The London Clinic?
Opened in 1932, rooms boast an electronic patient-controlled bed, en-suite bathroom, a safety deposit box, and a TV.
The hospital sees around 23,000 inpatients a year, with a further 110,000 outpatients.
It can reportedly treat different 155 conditions, with hundreds of treatments, tests and scans available.
The building at 20 Devonshire Place has seven main operating theatres and three additional theatres.
It has previously admitted Prince Phillip and Princess Margaret while ex-PM and current Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron was born there in 1966.
Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet was arrested at the hospital in October 1998 for crimes against humanity.
Earlier yesterday, Charles and Camilla were driven two miles to the clinic in Marylebone, West London, from Clarence House on The Mall, where they had stayed on Thursday night.
Charles had his corrective procedure after being diagnosed with the benign condition.
Afterwards, Camilla also told staff inside the hospital that he was “doing well”, sources told The Sun.
The King had cancelled all engagements after his diagnosis last Wednesday.
The Palace revealed he had suffered symptoms and doctors ordered him to put his feet up — which he did first at Sandringham in Norfolk, then at Clarence House.
The Sun told how it was a relief for Camilla, who had advised her workaholic husband to “slow down”.
Medical experts say Charles could be off work for up to a month following his operation.
But Buckingham Palace says there will be no need for any other members of the Royal Family to step in for the King and act as Counsellors of State.
Last night, Palace officials said they will not be giving any further updates unless they are significant.
Shortly after Charles and Camilla were pictured arriving at the clinic, a Palace spokesman confirmed at 9.30am: “The King was this morning admitted to a London hospital for scheduled treatment.
“His Majesty would like to thank all those who have sent their good wishes over the past week and he is delighted to learn that his diagnosis is having a positive impact on public health awareness.”
Following his diagnosis on January 17, there were 16,410 visits to the NHS website’s prostate enlargement page — compared to just 1,414 the day before.
Page visitor numbers have remained high this week.
Despite being ordered to rest since last week, the King could not resist carrying out some minor jobs before going into hospital.
Yesterday, the Royal Family’s social media account posted pictures of Charles and Camilla lighting candles at Sandringham ahead of National Holocaust Day today.
A message said: “Holocaust Memorial Day offers a valuable opportunity for the richly diverse communities of this nation to come together and recommit to building a society free from anti-Semitism, persecution and hatred.”
And on Thursday, Charles met two experts on sustainability from the University of Cambridge — Dame Veronica Anne Courtice and Prof Robert Miller.
Yesterday, Camilla was announced as royal patron of anti-Semitism educational organisation, the Anne Frank Trust UK.
Kate was admitted for her abdominal surgery on Tuesday, January 16.
At the time, royal aides said she would remain in hospital for up to two weeks — and not return to public engagements until early April.
