When King Charles returns to public duties today, it will be to a cancer treatment clinic. The British monarch was told he had the disease in February.
The 75-year-old monarch’s reaction to therapy for an unidentified kind of cancer was deemed satisfactory by physicians, according to a statement released by Buckingham Palace on Friday.
The first public engagement for the king will be today’s visit to a cancer treatment clinic where he will interact with patients and medical professionals.
The Palace has also announced Charles and his wife, Queen Camilla, will host a state visit by the Japanese Emperor Naruhito and his wife, Empress Masako, in late June.
Charles’s health issues began in January when it was revealed that he would be admitted to the hospital to have a corrective procedure for a benign, enlarged prostate.
The following month, the palace said tests had uncovered the presence of a ‘form of cancer’, but gave no further details beyond saying it did not involve his prostate.
He has rested and undergone treatment for the disease since then, continuing with official state duties in private. He was well enough to greet well-wishers after an Easter church service at the end of March.
Although his diary will be carefully managed to minimise any risks to his health, the palace said he might attend some annual events such as the ‘Trooping the Colour’ military parade in June, as well as commemorations to mark the 80th anniversary of the World War Two D-Day landings, also in June.
Charles’s illness came less than 18 months after he succeeded his mother Queen Elizabeth. His nephew Peter Phillips has said the monarch, who is renowned for hard work, had found the limitation imposed by his treatment frustrating.
Charles’s daughter-in-law Kate, who is now having preventive chemotherapy following major abdominal surgery, has also been missing. Kate is the wife of his son and heir, Prince William.
It is undoubtedly a relief to all of us that he and Catherine are back and doing well. Normalcy helps;C therefore, it’s always wonderful to see people who are battling cancer or any other serious disease return to their regular lives.
It is wonderful that King Charles is visiting with cancer patients. It will bring more attention to the disease, and it will brighten the patient’s day and it will allow him to have some camaraderie with the people with whom he now has something in common and it’s a brilliant PR move.
However, it does make me question how bad Kate is. With all eyes on her, she may not want to be seen since she is undergoing chemotherapy and, depending on the kind of treatment, may have lost some or all of her hair, but like the King, she will be back when she feels well enough.
Charles should be putting his feet up—his son William is young enough to take over the reins.
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