What did Buckingham Palace say?
King Charles III has “a form of cancer”, Buckingham Palace announced on Monday. “His Majesty today began a schedule of regular treatments, during which doctors have advised him to postpone public duties. During this period, His Majesty will continue to conduct state business and official paperwork as usual.”
According to Buckingham Palace, the king is “positive about his treatment and looks forward to returning to full public duties as soon as possible.”
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How was the disease discovered?
On January 26, King Charles was admitted to the private London Clinic hospital for treatment of a “benign enlarged prostate”. The British king then openly revealed his health problems in order to send “a message” to other men and encourage them to have their prostate checked in order to detect prostate cancer early. That was not the case with him at the time. On January 29, Charles was allowed to leave the hospital.
However, a “separate problem” was noted during treatment. “Subsequent diagnostic tests have identified a form of cancer,” Buckingham Palace said. “The King is grateful to his medical team for their quick intervention, which was possible thanks to his recent hospital procedure.”
What cancer is it?
The palace only wanted to say that there is no question of prostate cancer, one of the most treatable forms of cancer. Buckingham Palace does not say which type it is.
The fact that the palace itself came out with the news raises concerns that it could be a serious case. “His Majesty has chosen to share his diagnosis with the public to avoid speculation and in the hope that it can contribute to greater understanding for all those affected by the disease,” Buckingham Palace said. Charles is the godfather of several charities that work on cancer, and his wife Camilla opened a hospital ward for cancer patients last Wednesday.
What comes next for the British king?
The king was seen on Sunday at a church service in Sandringham, where he waved to the crowd at Queen Camilla’s side. He did not look sick or weak at the time. On Monday, Charles started his “schedule of regular treatments”. That may mean chemotherapy. It is not yet known whether surgery will be necessary. Charles does not have to be hospitalized for the time being: the treatment is on an outpatient basis, i.e. in the day clinic. Nothing is yet known about the duration of that treatment.
King Charles has only been on the throne since September 8, 2022, when he took over from his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth. He was then the longest-serving Crown Prince in British history. His wife Camilla recently urged workaholic Charles to slow down. Now he will have no choice. “Unfortunately, some of the King’s upcoming public engagements will have to be changed or postponed. His Majesty would like to apologize to anyone who has been disappointed or inconvenienced by this,” the palace said.
Did Charles have any health problems before?
As far as is known, the 75-year-old British king has always been in relatively good health. As a child, Charles says he had surgery for appendicitis, “just in time before the thing exploded.” More recently, he contracted Covid-19 twice, in 2020 and 2022, but the monarch only had mild symptoms.
In addition, the British king mainly suffers from back pain and there is always a special cushion on his chair, after he fell from his horse several times over the years.
King Charles played polo for more than forty years. In 1980 he was thrown from his pony and kicked by the animal, requiring six stitches. He was left with a scar on his left jaw. That same year he collapsed after a match in Florida and had to receive an IV with salts. A year later, he lost his voice for ten days when a ball hit his throat during a polo match.
King Charles (centered here during a match in 2005) suffered several injuries while playing polo. — © ap
In 1990, Charles broke his right arm in a fall during a polo match, requiring a second operation months later. In 1992 he had to have surgery again on his left knee, and in 1998 on his right knee due to wear and tear on the cartilage.
The British king also broke a rib when he fell from his horse during a hunt in 1998, and in 2001 he suffered a broken shoulder when he fell from his horse during a fox hunt. A few months later he lost consciousness when his horse threw him away at a polo match.
In 2003, Charles had surgery for a hernia, and in 2008 a benign growth was removed from his nose in a routine procedure.
The king has remained active after his retirement in 2005, has sometimes taken to the hills or mountains with a walking stick, and enjoys gardening. Although that turns out not to be without danger: he once broke his thumb by accidentally hitting it with a hammer, and then almost lost the tip of his finger. He also reportedly strained tendons in his wrist while salmon fishing in Scotland.
Has the family responded to the cancer diagnosis yet?
Not publicly. It is clear that Charles’ sons will assist their father as soon as possible. The king had personally called William and Harry to inform them of the diagnosis, after which he also informed his sister Anne and brothers Edward and Andrew.
Harry, the Duke of Sussex, will soon travel from California to Great Britain to visit King Charles, British media report. He comes alone, while his wife Meghan remains in the US with their two children. It’s no secret that the relationship between Harry and Meghan and the rest of the royal family is tense, to say the least.
Prince William had temporarily taken no official duties to support his wife Catherine, Princess of Wales, following her ‘abdominal surgery’ a few weeks ago. She will not fulfill any royal functions until after Easter. In order to replace his father as much as possible, William will resume his public duties this week from Wednesday.
Charles’ wife Camilla will also continue to perform her public duties, the palace said.
2024-02-06 06:25:42
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