The Duchess of Cornwall is to undergo a major surgical operation next month when she has a hysterectomy.
Camilla, 59, will be admitted to hospital after returning from a busy foreign tour with the Prince of Wales.
The Duchess faces the common procedure in around two to three weeks' time following her 10-day official royal trip to Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates with Charles.
Around one in five women in the UK is given a hysterectomy before the age of 60.
The Duchess will have to spend several days in hospital and rest for six weeks afterwards, with planned engagements postponed.
Clarence House described the operation - the removal of the womb - as routine and said it was not cancer-related, but refused to discuss Camilla's condition further.
A hysterectomy can be performed for several medical conditions including fibroids ("lumps" in the uterus), cancer, and endometriosis, when small pieces of the womb lining stick to other parts of the body, such as the bladder.
Fibroids or irregular bleeding can occur in women taking hormone replacement therapy (HRT).
Other reasons can include painful pelvic inflammatory disease, caused by infection or prolapse, where the uterus or part of vaginal wall drops down as a result of weak tissue.
Camilla will continue with her official engagements in the run up to her hospital stay, including visiting a Jewish museum in north London with Charles on Tuesday.
