Buckingham Palace announced on Monday that King Charles III had been diagnosed with cancer at the age of 75. He is already receiving treatment that will prevent him from undertaking public duties in the immediate future. The cancer was discovered when the monarch recently underwent a three-night treatment at the London Clinic for a benign enlarged prostate.
Although, it isn’t prostate cancer. No further details about what type of cancer he has are being released at this stage. The Palace said the king “remains wholly positive about his treatment”. “His Majesty has today commenced a schedule of regular treatments, during which time he has been advised by doctors to postpone public-facing duties,” they said.
“Throughout this period, His Majesty will continue to undertake State business and official paperwork as usual,” the statement added. He will continue with his constitutional role as head of state, including paperwork, his red boxes and private meetings.
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King Charles III personally informed his siblings, Anne, Princess Royal, Prince Andrew, Duke of York, and Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh of his cancer. He also called his children, Prince William and Prince Harry, after getting a medical diagnosis.
Prince Harry To Visit The UK Soon
Prince Harry had spoken with his father about his cancer diagnosis and would be travelling to the UK to see him in the coming days, the Office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex confirmed. It looks like family tensions will take a backseat amidst shared adversity. However, he is believed to travel alone with Meghan staying in the US with the couple’s two children – Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
Who is next in the line of succession?
Prince of Wales, a future king and the senior royal in the line of succession, is likely to undertake some duties on behalf of the king in addition to his own diary of engagements, according to the Press Association.
Prince William, 41, stepped back temporarily from his royal role three weeks ago to juggle caring for his wife, the Princess of Wales, and their children. Kate, the Princess of Wales, is in the process of recovering from her recent abdominal surgery, which resulted in her hospitalization for around two weeks.’
King Charles’ Recovery Process & The Royal Affairs
The king was last seen in public at Sandringham in Norfolk on Sunday, where he attended a church service with the queen. This was the first time he had been seen since he was discharged from the London Clinic. Buckingham Palace has called for the king’s privacy to be respected, especially during his treatment. He wanted to make his diagnosis public because of his long-running support for cancer charities.
King Charles became king in September 2022 following the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth. This cancer scare has come less than 18 months into his reign. However, it is expected that the king will continue to be available for privy council meetings, but details of how they will take place are still being worked through. Alternative arrangements will also be made for his weekly audience with the prime minister in case doctors advise him to minimise any in-person contact.
Rishi Sunak Hopes For The King’s Speedy Recovery
The UK’s prime minister, Rishi Sunak, said he is thankful that King Charles’s cancer was “caught early”. When asked how he received the news, Sunak told BBC Radio 5 Live, “Obviously, like everyone else, shocked and sad, and just all our thoughts are with him and his family.” He said everyone will be hoping the king “gets the treatment that he needs and makes a full recovery”.
“That’s what we’re all hoping and praying for, and I’m of course in regular contact with him and will continue to communicate with him as normal,” Sunak shared. “He’ll be in our thoughts and our prayers, many families around the country listening to this will have been touched by the same thing and they know what it means to everyone. So we’ll just be willing him on and hopefully we can get through this as quickly as possible” he added.
World Leaders Send In Best Wishes
The US president, Joe Biden, was among the world leaders who wished the king a speedy recovery. After losing his son Beau to brain cancer in 2015, he said that dealing with a cancer diagnosis takes courage. Biden told reporters on Monday that he was “concerned” about the king and planned to call him later.
Navigating a cancer diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship takes hope and absolute courage.
— President Biden (@POTUS) February 5, 2024
Jill and I join the people of the United Kingdom in praying that His Majesty experiences a swift and full recovery.
Former US president Donald Trump wrote on social media, “He is a wonderful man, who I got to know well during my presidency, and we all pray that he has a fast and full recovery!” The Labour leader, Keir Starmer, and former UK prime ministers Boris Johnson and Liz Truss also sent their best wishes.
Justin Welby, the archbishop of Canterbury, says he is “praying for the king and his family – for God’s comfort and strength in the weeks and months to come”. He had crowned King Charles in the Coronation ceremony last year.
I’m praying for the King and his family – for God’s comfort and strength in the weeks and months to come. I wish His Majesty a swift and full recovery.
— Archbishop of Canterbury (@JustinWelby) February 6, 2024
Netizens React
While many political leaders and the general public have been pouring in well-wishing messages of support and hoping for an early recovery, there are also many memes and sarcastic comments floating around on social media. “It’s ok not to like the royal family but making vile jokes about this is crazy – it’s cancer. It’s scary. grow up” a user wrote.
Instagram comments primarily comprise comments like “Link to apply for this post & general cutoff ?“, “Karma is a God. What goes around comes back around. God bless Diana’s soul“, “Imagine waiting 73 years for your mom to pass to finally have the dynasty only to get got less than 5 years later 🥲🥲🥲“, “Karma and Diana have same number of letters. 🙌” and so on.
Let’s wait and watch how soon King Charles III recovers and returns to his fulltime duties. Who do you think will be next in the line of succession?