Britain’s King Charles diagnosed with cancer: Buckingham Palace

LONDON - Britain’s King Charles has been diagnosed with cancer and while the 75-year-old will postpone his public engagements to undergo treatment, he is remaining “wholly positive”, Buckingham Palace said.

King Charles,

who acceded to the throne in September 2022

following the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth, has begun a series of treatments as an outpatient, the palace said, adding he was looking forward to returning to full duty as soon as possible.

The cancer revelation comes after the King spent three nights in hospital in January, when he underwent a corrective procedure for a benign enlarged prostate.

The palace said a separate issue of concern had been spotted during that hospital stay, but did not give any further details beyond saying tests had revealed the King had a “form of cancer”.

“No further details are being shared at this stage, except to confirm that his majesty does not have prostate cancer,” the palace said. “Throughout this period, his majesty will continue to undertake state business and official paperwork as usual.”

As such, the King will continue to have weekly meetings with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, as well as attend to the daily pile of paperwork he completes as Britain’s head of state.

Officials said there were no plans to appoint counsellors of state to act in his place – a procedure that could signal that the sovereign was unable to fulfil his duties because of illness.

Royal watchers were reluctant to speculate on how the King’s illness would affect the crown, given the paucity of information about his condition. Some pointed hopefully to the palace’s upbeat characterisation of his mood.

“If the King becomes seriously unwell, then there will be constitutional questions to answer,” said royal historian Ed Owens, who recently published a book, After Elizabeth: Can The Monarchy Save Itself?

“Likewise, a prolonged period out of the public eye will require the rest of the royal family – already overstretched – to do more.”

He said the King’s age made worries about his health inevitable, adding: “It is moments like these that bring into sharp focus the very human, and potentially fragile, qualities of the United Kingdom’s Constitution.”

Open about health issues

On Feb 4, the King gave no indication of the diagnosis when he was pictured smiling and waving to onlookers as he attended a church service with Queen Camilla. It was his first public outing since he and his daughter-in-law Kate left the same London hospital a week ago, where they had both undergone planned treatments.

Kate, the Princess of Wales and wife of the heir to the British throne, Prince William, spent two weeks at the London clinic following abdominal surgery for an unspecified but non-cancerous condition.

She will not be returning to royal duties until after Easter and Prince William, who has been looking after their three young children as she recovers, will carry out his first public engagement since her operation on Feb 7.

While the royals usually guard details of their health closely, regarding it as a private matter, King Charles has been open about his health issues.

“His Majesty has chosen to share his diagnosis to prevent speculation and in the hope it may assist public understanding for all those around the world who are affected by cancer,” Buckingham Palace said.

In January, as he underwent treatment for a benign prostate condition which is common among men over 50, King Charles was keen to share details of his condition to encourage other men experiencing symptoms to have a medical check.

Harry’s return

Prior to his recent health issues, the biggest shadow over the royals was the ongoing fallout between his younger son Harry and the rest of his family, most notably Prince William.

But the monarch told his immediate family personally about his cancer diagnosis and sources close to the Duke of Sussex say Prince Harry will travel to Britain to see him in the coming days.

Prince Harry now lives in California with his American wife Meghan Markle and their two children after the couple stepped down from royal duties in 2020.

After waiting longer than any heir in British history to become the monarch, King Charles’ first year on the throne was dominated by his coronation – Britain’s biggest ceremonial event for generations, full of pomp and pageantry.

While before he became sovereign, there were suggestions that the long-time environmental campaigner would bring a radical overhaul of the monarchy, King Charles has generally followed in the style of his mother while trying to add some of his own touches.

Polls suggest most Britons have a favourable view of his reign so far, although younger generations appear much less enthusiastic about the royal family in general.

Majesty Magazine editor-in-chief Ingrid Seward said that for King Charles, a workaholic who often attended to his papers until midnight, his recent health issues would mean he would have to take it more slowly now.

“His body will tell him he has to, and Camilla certainly will,” she told Reuters. “I think he’s mentally exhausted since the death of the queen. It’s been non-stop for him since then.”

While Queen Margrethe II of Denmark abdicated in January in favour of her son King Frederik X after 52 years on the throne, Ms Seward said there was no chance King Charles would follow suit.

“Absolutely not, 100 per cent no,” she said. REUTERS, NYTIMES