King Charles Gives Rare Health Update Amid Cancer Treatment Ahead of His First Major Overseas Trip As King

Sep 16, 2024 by apost team

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The last few years have been momentous for the British monarchy, including the tragic passing of Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, on Sept. 8, 2022, at Balmoral Castle, Scotland. It was a devastating day for the royal family as many members gathered to be by her side in her final moments. 

That same day, Elizabeth’s eldest son, King Charles III, ascended to the throne. On Sept. 9, 2022, he addressed the United Kingdom as its new monarch. And less than two years since, the royal family was again hit with tragic news when Buckingham Palace revealed Charles had been diagnosed with cancer on Feb. 5, 2024.

Charles’ personal life has been a hot topic for decades, particularly since his marriage to Princess Diana and subsequent divorce. However, he has worked hard to put his name in a good light, supporting several non-profit organizations. His efforts culminated in a tide of public favor. This shift in perception led to an outpouring of shock and devastation when news of his ill health became public. 

Even as he receives treatment for his cancer, it seems like no illness can stop Charles from working to keep everything in place. From time to time, his wife, Queen Camilla, has stepped up her responsibilities to help the royal family as Charles works in the backseat. 

Charles was lauded for being transparent about his health condition, with the media and public praising him in the days following his announcement for increasing awareness of prostate health and cancer, which he was diagnosed with. While in hindsight, it is clear Charles made the right decision in making his diagnosis public, it has come to light that Camilla did have doubts about revealing her significant other’s situation to the world.

On Sept. 11, 2024, King Charles issued a rare, heartfelt statement about his health that proved people’s speculations about his condition.

On Jan. 26, 2024, King Charles III was admitted to the London Clinic, where he underwent treatment. He remained under observation for three nights before being discharged. However, the palace announced the postponement of all his prior engagements to allow him sufficient rest and recuperation. In the following days, Queen Camilla again stated that Charles had been “doing his best” since the treatment before the pair made their first public appearance together on Feb. 4, 2024, at Sandringham Church. There, Charles gave the crowd a reassuring wave, lifting the people’s spirits. However, this reassurance was short-lived, as Buckingham Palace released devastating news the next day.

It revealed that, during Charles’ prostate treatment, “diagnostic tests have identified a form of cancer,” while stressing it was not prostate cancer. It said the king had “commenced a schedule of regular treatments” while his public-facing duties were postponed on the advice of his doctors. However, the 75-year-old monarch would “continue to undertake State business and official paperwork as usual,” it added.

Charles opted to take a transparent approach and allowed his procedure for benign prostate enlargement to be made public. This was a conscious decision, as noted in the palace’s statement that read:

“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.”

Later, in a message of thanks to the public, Charles elaborated on the decision, saying it was “equally heartening to hear how sharing my own diagnosis has helped promote public understanding and shine a light on the work of all those organisations which support cancer patients and their families across the UK and wider world.”

A royal family insider concurred that it was “sensible to be more open about it, as otherwise, people might have thought the worst.” 

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After Charles stepped back from his public-facing duties, Queen Camilla stepped up. Royal commentator Angela Levin praised Camilla for her willingness to “sacrifice herself,” adding:

“She would do her absolute best to stand by him. She never wanted to be in the spotlight and she disliked giving speeches. But she's learned all that and I think it's a marvelous thing.”

In describing Camilla as Charles’ “rock,” Levin continued:

“She would do her absolute best to stand by him… She’s absolutely there when she’s needed.”

“Royally Obsessed” podcast hosts Roberts Fiorito and Rachel Bowie also lauded Camilla for taking on the “heavy burden” of stepping up.

“To see Camilla step up, keep calm and carry on, and knowing what she’s also managing with her own kind of reactions and mental health over what’s going on with her husband, it’s the whole difference between duty and family… You have to continue what you have to do for the crown, but you also have to process your emotions over Charles’s cancer diagnosis,” Fiorito said.

Bowie echoed the sentiment, saying, “I think that has to be so incredibly hard, and such a heavy, heavy burden, to do while in public, too. It’s a lot to balance all at once.”

Camilla’s protective nature was also evident in the handful of public appearances she and Charles made following his diagnosis. Expert Judi James told MailOnline Camilla proved she was “quietly supporting and caring” for Charles by her “tender touches.” James said:

“Camilla’s body language signals she is subtly stepping up to help protect and even steer her stoic and, I suspect, stubborn husband… Her problem could be persuading Charles to slow down a little. His enthusiasm was evident and he seemed to be in no hurry to get back into the car after the visit (to a hospital in April 2024).”

While Charles’ decision to make his diagnosis public was lauded, it was not taken lightly. Royal biographer Rob Jobson claimed that Charles’s desire to avoid a “fake news” scandal was among the reasons for the public reveal.

“He was lauded for doing so, with commentators saying he had ushered in a new era of transparency in matters of health and the royal family,” Jobson said. He said the news had positive effects, such as a significant increase in online views of the National Health Service’s page on benign prostate enlargement. This was in line with Cancer Research UK’s website on information about the signs of cancer, which saw a thirty-three percent increase in clicks. 

However, one person initially opposed Charles’s revealing his diagnosis: Queen Camilla. 

“Queen Camilla had initially been against disclosing his condition, but the King overruled her as he felt it was a chance to take a lead and in doing so to encourage men experiencing similar symptoms to seek timely medical attention,” Jobson claimed.

Meanwhile, a palace insider revealed that while Charles was touched by the positive impacts of his decision to reveal his diagnosis, it was unlikely that the monarch would reveal too much detailed information about his condition, including which specific cancer he was battling.

“I can’t tell you what a difference that has made for him… When presented with facts of how many suffered enlarged prostate, and that there was a public health campaign and therefore some good can come of his personal setback, he totally got that and has been genuinely bowled over by the scale of response,” the insider told The Sun.

As for revealing his specific form of cancer, the source said, “Never say never. There are no current plans to reveal the cancer. But if he felt that the time was right …”

While King Charles’ vitality and strength powers him to perform despite his condition, reports emerged that there is an “ongoing battle” between him and his wife, Camilla. 

“Camilla would have been deeply unhappy that having only begun his holiday on Monday, he broke it off on Tuesday to do an incredibly intense engagement,” one of Camilla’s friend told Daily Beast about Charles’ persistence to perform his duties unwaveringly. “Of course, she understands it was very important and there is no way she would try to tell Charles what to do, but it seems to be extraordinary timing. She wants him to slow down, she is afraid he is working too hard, and that’s before you even get to the Australia tour.”

Another friend of Camilla also revealed that she has been encouraging King Charles to slow down on attending engagements. 

“She has been trying to encourage him to slow down. Of course, he wants to keep cracking on, but she is afraid that doing too much could set him back,” another source added.

It was announced that Charles and Camilla will visit Australia and Samoa in October 2024 for an official royal visit. Notably, it would be Charles and Camilla’s first major overseas trip together as the new King and Queen of the Commonwealth. 

The royal couple will be in the region from October 18–21 to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). 

"In both countries, their Majesty's engagements will focus on themes designed to celebrate the best of Australia and Samoa, as well as reflecting aspects of the King and Queen's work,” a Buckingham Palace spokesperson said, as quoted by GB News. 

During their visit, Charles will meet with distinguished melanoma treatment pioneers Professor Georgina Long and Professor Richard Scolyer. 

In a recent event that Charles hosted at Buckingham Palace on Sept. 11, 2024, he gave a significant health update that explained his strict itinerary for his upcoming October 2024 visit to Australia and Oceania. 

Charles welcomed the New Zealand women’s rugby union team inside Buckingham Palace for a short meeting. During his speech to the Black Ferns, Charles explained why he couldn’t visit New Zealand on his upcoming tour. 

"I am extremely sorry I can't come to New Zealand in later October because of doctor's orders. But I hope there will be another excuse before too long,” he revealed, as quoted by Express UK. "But in the meantime, give my love to New Zealand, please, and New Zealanders, we get lots of nice Kiwi coming here in this part of the world as well, so we are very lucky indeed."

It is unclear what specific “doctor’s orders” were given to Charles, but it is clear that he’s prioritizing his health instead of exerting more effort in traveling and more engagements. Despite the saddening announcement, Charles offered the New Zealand sports team some words of encouragement.

"And I hope you make the most of your time in the team because you don't stay young for very long, as I discovered, it all goes quicker than you think,” Charles added.

What do you think about King Charles III’s health update? What are your wishes for him? Let us know, and pass this on to your family, friends and other royal family fans out there!