The United Kingdom’s King Charles III has been diagnosed with a form of cancer, and will postpone public-facing duties, Buckingham Palace has announced.

King Charles recently spent three nights in hospital to undergo treatment for an enlarged prostate. It is understood that this separate issue was discovered during that procedure.

In Monday’s announcement, palace officials did not specify which type of cancer the king has or how serious his condition is. A Royal source told Reuters that it was not prostate cancer.

The palace said only that the king has commenced a schedule of regular treatments, “during which time [he] has been advised by doctors to postpone public-facing duties”.

Buckingham Palace also said the king had decided to be open about having been diagnosed with cancer to “prevent speculation and in the hope it may assist public understanding for all those around the world who are affected by cancer”.

The king’s cancer revelation comes as Catherine, Princess of Wales and wife to the heir to the throne, William, also recuperates at home after spending two weeks in hospital after planned abdominal surgery for an unspecified but non-cancerous condition.