King Charles III, 75, has been diagnosed with cancer and will avoid public events after being advised by his doctors to minimize in-person contact, Buckingham Palace announced Monday.
According to royal experts, the announcement marks a striking departure from the past, when the monarch’s ailments were often hidden from the public.
“During the King’s recent hospital surgery for a benign enlargement of the prostate, another cause for concern was noted,” the palace said in an emailed statement. “Subsequent diagnostic tests identified a form of cancer.”
The statement also did not specify at what stage the cancer was found.
Separately, Buckingham Palace said Charles did not have prostate cancer.
The news comes a week after both Kate and King Charles were released from a private London clinic following medical procedures. The king underwent a “corrective procedure” for an enlarged prostate, while Kate, 42, underwent unspecified abdominal surgery on January 17.
“His Majesty began a regular treatment program today, during which doctors advised him to postpone his public engagements,” the statement added.
According to the statement, the king wanted to share his diagnosis partly to avoid speculation about his condition but also “in the hope that it will help public understanding for all those in the world affected by cancer.”
Before becoming King, Charles was a patron of numerous cancer-related charities and “in this capacity, His Majesty has often spoken publicly in support of cancer patients, their loved ones and the wonderful healthcare professionals who care for them “, according to Buckingham Palace.
No further details about his treatment or prognosis were shared, a palace spokeswoman said, but the king returned to London on Monday to begin outpatient treatment.
Sarah Gristwood, a royal biographer and historian, said it was “surprising” that the diagnosis was announced, given the royal family’s history of trying to “keep any signs of ordinary human fallibility behind closed doors.”
“When Charles’s grandfather, George VI, was seriously ill, the severity of his condition was hidden not only from the public but from the patient himself,” Gristwood said of King George, who died in 1952. “Those were the attitudes of the time. Fortunately, things have changed now.”
Charles ascended the throne last May in a coronation ceremony held months after the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. Elizabeth reigned until her death at the age of 96 in September 2022. She was the longest-reigning British monarch, with 70 years on the throne.
Kate is still recovering, but her husband, William, Prince of Wales, will return to his royal duties by attending London’s Air Ambulance charity gala dinner on Wednesday.
Kensington Palace has previously said the Princess of Wales is unlikely to return to her royal duties before Easter on March 31. No date has been specified for the king’s return to his duties.
Buckingham Palace noted that many of the King’s planned engagements will have to be postponed or cancelled, apologizing in advance to anyone who caused any inconvenience. Charles’ wife, Queen Camilla, will continue to carry out all her public duties while he undergoes treatment.
Buckingham Palace has also stressed that no councilors of state will be appointed, a sign that the king will continue to carry out his duties, said Craig Prescott, who teaches law at Royal Holloway, University of London, and specializes in the constitutional side of the monarchy. .
“If the king is unavailable due to illness or is traveling abroad, then councilors of state may be appointed to replace the king and undertake the formal and constitutional duties of the monarch: things like securing royal assent to legislation and go through his red boxes,” Prescott said.
A source close to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, told NBC News that Harry has spoken to his father about the diagnosis.
“He will travel to the UK to see Her Majesty in the next few days,” the source said.
Harry stepped down from his role as a senior member of the royal family in 2020 and has since settled in California with his wife and two children. He has visited Britain sparingly in recent years, expressing concern about the lack of security for his family and reports of a growing rift with his father and brother William.
He was present at both his grandmother’s funeral and his father’s coronation.