Is there something in the waters around Windsor?

With three Royal Family members out of action, Kerry Parnell takes a look at the health woes of the Windsors.

As the King and the Princess of Wales recover from surgeries, Sarah, Duchess of York has gone public with her latest health battle.

On Tuesday, the Duchess revealed she had skin cancer, following her breast cancer diagnosis last year.

So, with three Royal Family members currently out of action, we take a look at the wider health woes of the Windsors, past and present.

The King

King Charles III. Picture: Adrian Dennis/AFP

There was a royal health shock last week when it was announced the King and the Princess of Wales were both receiving treatment.

“In common with thousands of men each year, The King has sought treatment for an enlarged prostate,” the statement read. “His Majesty’s condition is benign and he will attend hospital next week for a corrective procedure.”

The monarch’s openness about a condition not often discussed was applauded around the world.

As the King, 75, rests, Queen Camilla, meanwhile, has continued her commitments and reportedly urged him to slow down.

Princess of Wales

Catherine, Princess of Wales. Picture: Daniel Leal/AFP

The King’s honesty also helped give his daughter-in-law more privacy, as shortly before Buckingham Palace’s statement, Kensington Palace announced Catherine, 42, was in hospital in London, recovering from “abdominal surgery”. The Princess has kept details of her health condition private.

Prince William has been photographed visiting his wife in The London Clinic and she will be recuperating until after Easter.

“The Princess of Wales appreciates the interest this statement will generate. She hopes that the public will understand her desire to maintain as much normality for her children as possible; and her wish that her personal medical information remains private.”

Duchess of York

Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York. Picture: Stephen Pond/Getty Images

Sarah revealed her breast cancer diagnosis last June, undergoing a mastectomy and reconstruction after it was detected on a routine mammogram, which she says her Australian-based sister Jane, urged to her to have.

Speaking on her podcast Tea Talks, Sarah, 64, vowed to tackle it head-on. “I’m going to understand it, get super-fit, super-strong,” she said. “Look at it straight on.”

But she suffered a setback with the diagnosis of a malignant melanoma. “Naturally another cancer diagnosis has been a shock but I’m in good spirits and grateful for the many messages,” she wrote on Instagram.

Princess Eugenie

Princess Eugenie of York. Picture: Henry Nicholls/AFP

Sarah Ferguson’s daughter Princess Eugenie has also had health struggles. When she was 12, Eugenie was diagnosed with scoliosis – a curvature of the spine – and underwent an eight-hour surgery to have rods inserted into her back. Now 33, she is a patron of the hospital charity.

At her 2018 wedding to Jack Brooksbank, her wedding dress was designed to show off her scar on her back. “I think you can change the way beauty is, and you can show people your scars and I think it’s really special to stand up for that,” she said.

Lady Louise Windsor

Lady Louise Windsor. Picture: Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images

Another young royal who has been on a health journey is Lady Louise Windsor, 20. The daughter of Prince Edward and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, was born with the eye condition esotropia, which causes a squint. She had surgery at 18 months old, and a second procedure when she was 10.

“She’s fine now – her eyesight is perfect,” said Sophie, adding that esotropia often affects premature babies. Sophie gave birth to Louise four weeks prematurely in 2003, after a labour in which the Duchess came close to death.

Diana, Princess of Wales

Diana, Princess Of Wales. Picture: Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images

When Diana spoke with writer Andrew Morton for his 1992 book Diana: Her True Story, she spoke honestly about her eating disorder bulimia. During her honeymoon, Diana said, it was raging. “By then the bulimia was appalling, absolutely appalling. It was rife, four times a day on the yacht,” she said. She embarked on a long recovery process, using exercise as a tool.

Prince William and Harry

Prince William and Prince Harry. Picture: Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Diana’s legacy was to help her sons open up about their own mental health, particularly the difficulty processing the grief at the loss of their mother at such a young age.

Before their split, the brothers were united in spreading the word about better mental health, launching their Heads Together campaign in 2016.