King Charles shares major health update and announces return to public duties
King Charles will visit a cancer hospital to meet patients and staff in a determined bid to "do his bit" and spread awareness of the disease.
For decades, Charles has taken a specific interest in the treatment of cancer and he now intends to bring his campaigning zeal to highlight the battle to find a cure for what he once called this "beastly disease".
In the first major health update since his cancer diagnosis in February, Buckingham Palace said the 75-year-old “will shortly return to public-facing duties after a period of treatment and recuperation following recent cancer diagnosis”.
The Palace added that his medical team is “very encouraged by the progress made so far" and remains "positive about the King’s continued recovery”.
To mark the milestone, the King and Queen will visit a cancer hospital to meet patients and staff on Tuesday in a bid to spread awareness and become a leading campaigner on the issue. He will seek to highlight how you can continue to live and work even during cancer treatment.
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Charles has long taken a specific interest in the treatment of cancer and has always shown his support for cancer patients and charities.
He has met hundreds of people suffering from the disease and has been patron of Macmillan Cancer Support for more than 25 years.
The King is also patron of several other cancer charities, including Marie Curie Cancer Care and Breast Cancer Now.
The engagement on Tuesday, his first public-facing engagement since January 7, will raise awareness of the importance of early diagnosis and will highlight some of the innovative research, supported by Cancer Research UK, which is taking place at the hospital.
Charles’s decision to openly share his cancer diagnosis with the public was widely praised and triggered a “King Charles effect” - a surge in visits to cancer information and support websites nationwide.
In the 24 hours following the Palace announcement, searches for NHS advice on the disease increased by 51 percent.
Macmillan also saw a 42 percent jump in hits to its website on the day of the announcement.
Two days after his cancer diagnosis was revealed, aides shared the charity’s message on social media urging others in his position to reach out for support - in an early sign that the King would use his diagnosis to help further the cause of various cancer charities in the long term.
In a speech at a Macmillan event 25 years ago, Charles spoke about the need to “rewrite the rhetoric of cancer” and to “destroy the myths and misconceptions which block understanding and paralyse action”.
Charles’s visit to the hospital will mark the resumption of a more fulsome schedule this summer.
His treatment programme will continue, with a Buckingham Palace spokesman saying: “Doctors are sufficiently pleased with the progress made so far that the King is now able to resume a number of public-facing duties. Forthcoming engagements will be adapted where necessary to minimise any risks to His Majesty’s continued recovery."
He will not participate in a full summer programme but will undertake engagements subject to doctors’ advice and appropriate adaptations in place.
Aides are planning for the King to attend key events such as Trooping the Colour, D-Day commemorations, garden parties and Royal Ascot, though the Palace said “nothing can be confirmed or guaranteed at this stage”.
This guidance also applies to his scheduled trip to Samoa and Australia in the autumn.
To accompany the welcome news of the King’s improving health, the Palace released a new intimate portrait of the royal couple.
Linking arms, Charles looks at his wife with genuine joy and affection while Camilla returns his warmth by smiling directly into the lense.
The loving picture was taken by Millie Pilkington, a favoured photographer of the Prince and Princess of Wales, in the Buckingham Palace garden on April 10, the day after their 19th wedding anniversary.
Camilla is wearing an indigo day dress with velvet detail by Fiona Clare. The picture was taken to mark the first anniversary of the Coronation, which falls on Monday, May 6.
Buckingham Palace said: “As the first anniversary of the Coronation approaches, Their Majesties remain deeply grateful for the many kindnesses and good wishes they have received from around the world throughout the joys and challenges of the past year.”
It was also announced on Friday that the King and Queen will host a state visit by the Emperor and Empress of Japan in late June.
The visit was originally planned for Spring 2020 but was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Charles first revealed he had been diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer on February 5. He announced he would be postponing all public engagements.
It came less than two weeks after he was admitted to hospital for prostate surgery.
He has been undergoing a schedule of regular treatment as an outpatient since, though he continued to undertake state business and go through official paperwork behind the scenes.
Last month, he started to slowly increase the number of private audiences he undertook in a promising sign of his recovery.
His last pictured engagement was on April 9, when he welcomed the governor of the Bank of England to Buckingham Palace to view his portrait on the new bank notes.
Prior to that, the King took part in an impromptu walkabout as he attended the Easter Mattins Service at St George’s Chapel Windsor on March 31.
The monarch surprised wellwishers by brushing off guidance and shaking hands with the crowds in his most significant public appearance since revealing his diagnosis.
