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By CNN Royal Correspondent Max Foster and Lauren Said-Moorhouse in London

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There has been concern in Britain over the past 48 hours after it was revealed that health issues are forcing two of the most senior royals out of the public eye.

King Charles is set to undergo a corrective procedure for an enlarged prostate next week, while his daughter-in-law, Catherine, remains in hospital following a successful abdominal operation. William will also take a step back from duties to support his wife.

The announcements dominated newspapers in the United Kingdom on Thursday, with headlines such as "Let's pray that they're both OK" leading the Daily Mail and "Royals rocked by Kate op" emblazoned on the front page of the Sun.

With the 75-year-old British monarch, the announcement was made on Wednesday as he was expected in Scotland at his Dumfries House for a series of engagements in the days ahead, a royal source revealed.

Those events have now been delayed, it would appear, on the advice of the king's doctors. According to the source, the palace didn't want to make guests — including foreign dignitaries and cabinet members — travel when they didn't need to, which is why a short statement was issued.

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Generally, the palace doesn't like to release details on the specific health conditions of the Windsor family. It's not that they are being cagey and duplicitous, but aides believe that the family has the same right to patient confidentiality as everyone else. And when they are in or going into hospital, the palace has a duty to let the public know.

However, in this instance, the palace made a point of highlighting in its three-line statement that Charles' condition is "in common with thousands of men each year." Additionally, a royal source told us that the monarch was keen to share his diagnosis as it could encourage other men to get check-ups.

With the king's operation, some have naturally asked what's happening in his absence. A royal source said they don't expect any Counselors of State — the senior royals who can stand in for Charles — will be needed next week.

Currently, Princes William, Harry, Andrew and Edward, as well as Princess Anne, are able to fulfil Charles' duties in his absence.

News of Charles' treatment came as a shock to many when Kensington Palace had separately announced Catherine's lengthy hospital stay only 90 minutes before.

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Although the king is only expected to delay his diary for a short period while he recovers, Kate will be out of action for a significantly longer period of time. "Based on the current medical advice, she is unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter," Kensington Palace said.

The Princess of Wales was seen over Christmas with the family in Sandringham and appeared well at various public engagements, notes CNN royal historian Kate Williams.

"She was very busy in December. She had the carol service and she was doing all kinds of engagements with her Royal Foundation for Early Childhood, so I think there'll be a lot of engagements that have to be postponed now," Williams added.

But she hasn't been spotted publicly since. With Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis restarting school last week, it would only have been a matter of time before the public noticed Catherine's absence had the royal household not made its announcement this week.

Resting for several months at her Windsor home will be a very different change of pace for the mom-of-three, who is well known for being a hands-on parent who is heavily involved at her children's schools. Her public commitments — which saw her conduct more than 120 engagements last year — are fitted around her schedule at home.

Her husband, Prince William, will juggle childcare while being by her side as she recovers, another royal source said. That means William won't be conducting any official duties while she's still in hospital or when she first gets home.

When the couple started a family, they were keen to ensure their children had as normal an upbringing as possible. They don't have live-in staff or nannies and prefer to handle school pick ups themselves. That's not to say they won't have support. Kate's parents live nearby and they could always lean on staff from Windsor Castle but their preference has been to do it themselves.

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The couple have also canceled all travel for the foreseeable future. William and Kate usually travel early in the year but will also now miss an expected international spring tour.

The palace statement that she will be off diary until after Easter means she’ll likely miss several high-profile events, including the British Academy Film Awards (they usually go as Prince William is president of the academy) and the annual Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey.

Kate holds the role of honorary Colonel of the Irish Guards but the prognosis suggests she’ll be forced to forgo St. Patrick’s Day celebrations with the regiment. She’s also the patron of English rugby but will have to skip any appearances at the Six Nations tournament, which kicks off in early February.
News of the princess’ medical procedure came as a shock, but the royal source did make it clear that it was not related to cancer.

With all this in mind, the monarchy still needs a public facing royal and that will come in the form of Queen Camilla. Princess Anne, Prince Edward and his wife Sophie will of course continue with their own duties and obligations but they don’t have quite the same heft as the most senior of the family.

The institution will be keen to reassure Britons that nothing is amiss and as such expect to see Camilla will be out and about next week.

In the weeks ahead, King Charles will still be handling the business of the monarchy behind the scenes and the Waleses will be kept informed and offering advice as needed. But it’ll be left to Camilla to step into the void.

A new official portrait of King Charles III that will hang in public buildings in the United Kingdom has been unveiled. The photograph, which was taken in Windsor Castle last year, shows the king wearing a Royal Navy Admiral of the Fleet uniform adorned with medals. Public bodies such as courts, schools and councils can request free oak-framed copies of the portrait, which was taken by photographer Hugo Burnand. Check it out here. 

Denmark's King Frederik overwhelmed during balcony appearance. 

The new king had tears in his eyes as he waved to the thousands gathered in Copenhagen after taking the Danish throne. For many in Denmark, his mother was the only monarch they had ever known. But Queen Margrethe's shock abdication, after more than five decades on the throne, paved the way for her son, the former crown prince, to succeed her. The handover took place at a cabinet meeting at Christiansborg Palace on Sunday, when Margrethe signed a declaration of her abdication before literally stepping aside for her son and returning home. Find out more about the historic changeover here.

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📺 Watch: How the new king and queen's relationship unfolded. 

It's not just those from the nordic country celebrating Margrethe handing the baton to her son. Frederik X is ruling alongside his Australian-born and hugely popular wife, Queen Mary — to the delight of her proud admirers back home.

Their royal romance started with a chance encounter at a Sydney bar during the 2000 Olympics Games. Sales executive Mary Elizabeth Donaldson, born in Hobart, Tasmania, was initially unaware she was chatting with a real-life prince.

Back then, Justin Tynan was the manager of Sydney's Slip Inn, the venue near Darling Harbour where the future king and queen of Denmark crossed paths. "I do recollect her, I mean... she's quite a striking woman. But the focus, I suppose, was on Frederik because he was the one paying for the drinks," he told CNN.

Check out our video on their royal romance and Mary's journey from Hobart to Copenhagen:

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Keeping with the international flavor of this week's newsletter... Life in the tiny oil-rich kingdom of Brunei came to a standstill Sunday for a grand royal wedding attended by heads of state and royals from Bhutan and Middle Eastern countries, the highlight of 10 days of celebrations.

The lavish ceremony saw Prince Abdul Mateen, the tenth child and fourth son of Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, wed his long-time partner, Yang Mulia Anisha Rosnah, the granddaughter of a royal adviser. The couple exchanged vows at Istana Nurul Iman, the official residence of the sultan and the world's largest residential palace — with 1,788 rooms, 257 bathrooms, and air-conditioned stables for 200 polo ponies.
 
Read the full story here.

"I look forward to working with you on ensuring that the enduring bond between our countries, and our families, remains strong, and to working together with you on issues which matter so much for our countries and the wider world."

– King Charles III

The British monarch was among the first to congratulate the new king and queen of Denmark following Frederik's accession on Sunday. In his message, he also paid tribute "to the many years of service" of Queen Margrethe. Read the full message here.