Queen Camilla was 'against' King Charles disclosing his cancer diagnosis but was 'overruled'

Then, in February, it was announced he had been diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer, which was discovered during the procedure.

A statement from Buckingham Palace said at the time: "No further details are being shared at this stage, except to confirm that His Majesty does not have prostate cancer."

The King was subsequently forced to take a temporary step back from public-facing duties.

It was reported he would be undertaking a reduced schedule when he returned to work at the end of April.

Robert Jobson, who has written a new biography of the Princess of Wales, said: "Queen Camilla had initially been against disclosing his condition, but the King overruled her as he felt it was a chance to take a lead and in doing so to encourage men experiencing similar symptoms to seek timely medical attention.

"There was a significant increase in searches related to enlarged prostate on the National Health Service website following the monarch’s revelation.

"The NHS England page on benign prostate enlargement had more than 26,000 visits in the 48 hours after the announcement, compared to a daily average of just 1,400."

Jobson did not disclose Camilla’s reasons for disagreeing with Charles's transparency.

However, he claimed Charles wanted to avoid the "fake news" which often circulated whenever the late Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip received medical attention.

The author added of the decision: "He was lauded for doing so, with commentators saying he had ushered in a new era of transparency in matters of health and the Royal Family."

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The King’s health concerns marked the beginning of one of the most tumultuous years for the Royal Family.

The Princess of Wales initially revealed that she was undergoing planned abdominal surgery in January and intended to return to duty after Easter.

However, Kate later released a video message in March announcing that she had been diagnosed with an undisclosed type of cancer.

Kate, 42, made a return to public life in June at Trooping the Colour, the King’s official birthday parade, and appeared on the final day of this year’s Wimbledon to present the trophies.