London  - Prince Charles, heir to the British throne, has had a non-cancerous growth removed from his face in a minor surgical procedure, aides said Friday.

The "routine and minor" operation was believed to have been carried out Thursday, just hours before Prince Charles received the Dalai Lama for talks at Clarence House, his London residence.

Curiosity was sparked Friday when Prince Charles, 59, appeared with a small white plaster on the right-side of the bridge of his nose.

Britain's royal family have a history of receiving treatment for growths on their faces.

Charles' father, the Duke of Edinburgh, underwent a minor procedure in 1996 to erase a small benign growth on his nose.

Meanwhile, in January 2003, Queen Elizabeth II had minor, non-cancerous growths removed from her face by surgeons. (dpa)