King Charles has faced one of the toughest years of his life. Back in February, the shocking news came out: he had been diagnosed with an unspecified type of cancer. As a result, he stepped away from his royal duties for several months, taking time to receive treatment and recover. By late April, he was finally ready to return to public life, but the battle wasn’t over.
At the time of writing, King Charles seems to be doing better, but his wife, Queen Camilla, has been keeping a close eye on him. She’s been trying to stop him from diving back into work too quickly.
Despite her efforts, the King and Queen are preparing for their first big overseas trip together in October, with plans to visit Australia and Samoa—assuming Charles doesn’t face any more serious health setbacks.
Throughout his illness, King Charles has shared small updates about his health. But recently, things have been quiet. That was until Wednesday, when the King finally spoke out with a heartfelt update.
On February 5, Buckingham Palace delivered the stunning news that the King had cancer. A statement from the palace said, “The King is grateful to his medical team for their swift intervention, which was made possible thanks to his recent hospital procedure. He remains wholly positive about his treatment and looks forward to returning to full public duty as soon as possible.”
King Charles made the brave decision to share his diagnosis with the world. His goal was to prevent rumors and help others who might be going through similar struggles. “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,” the palace explained.
Charles’ openness had a massive impact. According to reports, Cancer Research UK saw a 33% increase in visits to its website, with many people looking up the signs and symptoms of cancer after hearing about the King’s condition.
Just a few days after the announcement, Charles expressed his gratitude. “I would like to express my most heartfelt thanks for the many messages of support and good wishes I have received in recent days,” he said. “As all those who have been affected by cancer will know, such kind thoughts are the greatest comfort and encouragement.”
He went on to say, “It is 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.”
Charles added that his own experience had deepened his admiration for the people who work tirelessly to care for those affected by cancer. “My lifelong admiration for their tireless care and dedication is all the greater as a result of my own personal experience,” he said.
Behind the scenes, though, things weren’t easy. It’s been reported that Queen Camilla wasn’t happy with Charles’ decision to share his diagnosis publicly. Robert Jobson, who wrote the book Our King: Charles III: The Man and the Monarch Revealed, revealed to The Independent that Camilla initially opposed the idea of making Charles’ illness public.
“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 explained.
Despite her reservations, Charles felt strongly that sharing his story could help others. He wanted to use his position to encourage men to get checked for cancer before it was too late. His decision had a real impact—searches related to enlarged prostate on the National Health Service (NHS) website skyrocketed after his announcement.
The NHS England page on benign prostate enlargement had over 26,000 visits in the 48 hours after Charles shared his diagnosis, compared to the usual 1,400 daily visits.
Jobson added, “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.”
However, despite their public unity, it’s said that behind closed doors, there has been an “ongoing battle” between Charles and Camilla. Though the King is determined to stay active, Camilla has been worried that his busy schedule could take a toll on his health.
A friend of the Queen told The Daily Beast, “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. 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 shared similar concerns. “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.”
Thankfully, King Charles is back to his royal duties, and he and Queen Camilla have been appearing together more often since his illness became public. Just this past Wednesday, Charles hosted an event at Buckingham Palace, where he met with New Zealand’s women’s rugby union team.
While the palace has been tight-lipped about Charles’ health, the King briefly mentioned it during the event. He explained to the team that he wouldn’t be able to visit their country in October as planned due to “doctor’s orders.”
“I am extremely sorry I can’t come to New Zealand in later October because of doctor’s orders,” he said, according to The Express. “But I hope there will be another excuse before too long.” He added with a smile, “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.”
Charles then reflected on the fleeting nature of youth, telling the players, “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.”
Looking ahead, the upcoming tour in October will be a major test for King Charles. It will be his first significant overseas trip since becoming king. Buckingham Palace recently shared details about the tour, which will take place from October 18 to October 26.
During the trip, Charles and Camilla will visit Australia and Samoa, as well as attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Samoa.
“Their Majesties, The King and Queen, will undertake an Autumn tour from Friday 18th to Saturday 26th October 2024,” a Palace spokesperson announced. The tour will focus on celebrating the host countries and reflecting the King and Queen’s personal interests.
One important part of the trip will be a meeting with Australian professors who are experts in melanoma, one of the most common cancers in Australia. Given King Charles’ recent battle with cancer, this visit is particularly meaningful.
However, this tour will be different from the long, intense schedules of past royal trips. “Adaptations have been made,” said royal expert Cameron Walker. He noted that the tour will be much shorter and more focused than the 58-day trip Queen Elizabeth II took to Australia, where she visited seven capital cities and 70 towns.
“As we knew, doctors had given the King the green light to travel. It is going to be the first long-haul travel the King has done since his cancer diagnosis,” Walker explained. However, New Zealand, which was originally part of the tour, has been removed from the schedule based on doctor’s advice.
Despite the challenges, Charles remains determined to keep going. As Walker said, “Because he’s been mindful that he’s undergoing cancer treatments, he’s also going to be spending some time at an engagement to do with melanoma and cancer treatment.”
It’s clear that while King Charles is committed to his royal duties, the road ahead remains uncertain.
