King Charles has faced one of the most difficult years of his life. In early February, the shocking news came out—he had been diagnosed with an unspecified form of cancer. Because of this, he had to step away from his royal duties and focus on getting treatment and recovery, which lasted until late April.
Now, as of the most recent updates, King Charles seems to be getting back on track. However, his wife, Queen Camilla, has reportedly been concerned, constantly urging him not to push himself too hard too quickly. Their first major overseas trip as King and Queen is planned for October, where they will visit Australia and Samoa, but only if his health remains stable.
King Charles has been somewhat open about his health, sharing bits of information here and there. Recently, though, things have been quieter. But on Wednesday, Charles finally gave another heartfelt update.
Back on February 5, Buckingham Palace revealed to the public the startling news of King Charles’ cancer diagnosis. The statement read: “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 had chosen to share his diagnosis to avoid any rumors and, more importantly, to raise awareness. “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 added.
This decision may have helped save lives. According to reports, Cancer Research UK saw a 33% increase in people visiting their website to learn more about the symptoms of cancer after Charles’ announcement.
Not long after the news broke, 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. As all those who have been affected by cancer will know, such kind thoughts are the greatest comfort and encouragement.”
He also shared how his announcement had helped raise awareness about cancer: “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 organizations which support cancer patients and their families across the UK and wider world.”
Despite the support from the public, there was a big discussion behind the scenes. Queen Camilla was reportedly against Charles disclosing his cancer diagnosis to the public. Royal expert Robert Jobson, author of the book Our King: Charles III: The Man and the Monarch Revealed, claimed that Camilla had initially wanted to keep the news private.
“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.
Charles believed that by sharing his experience, he could encourage men to get checked before it was too late. Jobson also shared that following the King’s announcement, there was a huge increase in searches for prostate health on the National Health Service (NHS) website.
The page on benign prostate enlargement saw over 26,000 visits in just 48 hours—compared to a daily average of 1,400. Charles was praised for bringing transparency to health matters within the Royal Family.
While Charles and Camilla supported each other through these tough times, there have been rumors of ongoing tension between them. Despite his diagnosis, Charles continues to maintain a busy schedule of royal engagements, which has reportedly upset Camilla.
One of her friends shared, “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.”
The friend added that although Camilla understands how important the engagement was, she worries that he’s overworking himself. “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 revealed that Camilla has been encouraging him to take things easier. “Of course, he wants to keep going, but she is afraid that doing too much could set him back.”
Thankfully, King Charles has returned to his royal duties, much to everyone’s relief. He and Queen Camilla have appeared together at numerous events since his diagnosis. Just recently, Charles hosted an event at Buckingham Palace, where he met with New Zealand’s women’s rugby union team.
Though official health updates from the Palace have been scarce, Charles briefly mentioned his condition during the event, explaining to the players that he wouldn’t be able to travel to their country during the upcoming tour to Oceania.
“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,” Charles said, as reported by the Express. “In the meantime, give my love to New Zealand, please, and New Zealanders.
We get lots of nice Kiwis coming here to this part of the world, so we are very lucky indeed.” He added with a lighthearted comment: “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.”
The upcoming tour to Australia and Samoa, set for October, will be King Charles’ first major overseas trip as king. Buckingham Palace recently shared details about the trip, saying it would be a busy time for the royal couple. A Palace spokesperson revealed: “Their Majesties, The King and Queen, will undertake an Autumn tour from Friday 18th to Saturday 26th October 2024.
This will include a royal visit to Australia, a State Visit to the Independent State of Samoa, and attendance at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) 2024.”
As part of the tour, Charles will meet with two Australians of the Year, Professor Georgina Long and Professor Richard Scoyler, who work to help people affected by melanoma, a common cancer in Australia.
While the tour schedule is packed, there will be some changes compared to previous royal trips. Royal expert Cameron Walker explained that significant adaptations had been made. “The late Queen Elizabeth visited every state of Australia, every territory, including seven capital cities and 70 towns in 58 days,” Walker told GB News.
“In contrast, the King is going to be spending, we understand, less than a week in Australia and he’s only going to be visiting Sydney and Canberra.”
Walker continued: “Doctors had given the King the green light to travel. It’s going to be his first long-haul trip since his cancer diagnosis. But it’s clear from the information I’ve received this afternoon that adaptations have been made. For example, New Zealand was originally on the agenda for the King and Queen to visit, but that has now been ruled out on doctor’s advice.”
Charles’ trip will include time spent at an engagement focused on cancer treatments, as he continues to be mindful of his own health while raising awareness about melanoma and other cancers.