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- Author, Editorial
- Scroll, BBC News World
February 5, 2024
Buckingham Palace announced this Monday that King Charles III was diagnosed with cancer.
The British monarch will continue his duties as head of state, but will step away from his public commitments during treatment.
In a statement, the Palace reported that the king “is optimistic about his treatment and hopes to return to fully performing his public duties as soon as possible.”
Buckingham did not reveal what type of cancer the king suffers from, but reported that it is not prostate cancer.
Last week, Charles III was discharged from hospital after surgery for an enlarged prostate, a condition the Palace described as benign.
The king made his prostate treatment public with the aim of encouraging more men to have checks, the Palace reported at the time.
Carlos III would have personally communicated the diagnosis to his immediate family.
This includes his children – Prince William and Prince Harry – and his siblings – Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward.
Public pause
The king, 75, returned to London this Monday morning from Sandringham, in Norfolk, and the Palace indicated that he has already begun his outpatient treatment.
Although he will pause his public events, the king will continue with his constitutional role as head of state, including procedures and private meetings.
These include meetings of the Privy Council, the body of ministers and with advisors who keep it updated on the day-to-day running of the government.
He will also continue to meet weekly with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and will continue to receive and review official red boxes of government documentation.
Caption,
The last time he was seen publicly was at a church service in Sandringham this Sunday, where he greeted the crowd.
There is a constitutional mechanism for when the head of state is unable to carry out official duties; In that circumstance, they may be appointed “state councilors” to replace the monarch.
Currently, that list of advisors includes Queen Camilla, Prince William, Princess Anna and Prince Edward.
The BBC learned that Prince Harry, who lives in the United States, spoke with his father and will travel to the United Kingdom to see him in the coming days.
The chances of developing certain types of cancer increase with age.
In the United Kingdom, data reveal that each year more than a third of new cancer diagnoses occur in people aged 75 and over.
Support messages
Prime Minister Sunak wished the king a “speedy and full recovery”, as did the leader of the opposition in the United Kingdom, Labor’s Keir Starmer.
Sunak’s immediate predecessors, Liz Truss and Boris Johnson, posted messages of support for Charles III on the social network X, formerly Twitter.
“Today the entire country will support the king. My best wishes to Charles III for a complete and speedy recovery,” Johnson said.
US President Joe Biden said he was “concerned” about the news about the British monarch.
“I just heard his diagnosis. I hope to be able to talk to him soon,” he told the press.
Caption,
Biden expressed concern about the diagnosis.
For his part, former President Donald Trump described the king on the social network
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau posted on .
“We send him our best wishes and hope for a quick and complete recovery,” he added.
Canada is a member of the Commonwealth and Charles III is officially its head of state.
The news was spread transparently, but there is still much to know
Analysis by Sean Coughlan, BBC News Royal Household Correspondent
The news of the cancer diagnosis comes as a surprise, since on Sunday King Charles III, in apparent recovery, was seen publicly greeting the crowd at Sandringham.
It’s been a tough start to the year for the Royal Family.
The Princess of Wales still has a long recovery from her abdominal surgery ahead of her. Prince William was expected to spend more time with her and her children, but will now take over from her father, who will step away from public engagements.
Like the information about Kate’s operation, the news about the king is a mix of openness in keeping with modern times and a traditional sense of privacy.
The Palace has pre-empted any speculation by revealing the cancer diagnosis, but there is still much to know about what exactly doctors have discovered.
If anything, those moments can bring people together, and the king personally shared the news with his children, including a conversation with Prince Harry, who will travel from California to visit his father in the coming days.
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