Charles’ reign has had a rocky start. The monarch first had to put a lot of energy into his son, Prince Harry, and his wife, Meghan Markle, after all the accusations and claims they made about the Royal Family, before last year receiving the shocking news that he has cancer.
Over the course of the past year, Charles has undergone cancer treatment. And while he was supposedly well enough to pause his treatment for the Australia & Samoa state visit he and Camilla undertook, he still hasn’t fully recovered.
Very early on, King Charles made the decision to reveal that he had cancer, even though it was reported that Camilla was against him disclosing his diagnosis. The fact that he did had a significant impact in the UK, with the number of people visiting websites for testing themselves skyrocketing.
Charles had reportedly hoped it could help others if he disclosed his cancer diagnosis – and it appears as though he definitely difference. A week after the monarch broke the news, he then released his own personal message to the country.
“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,” Charles wrote.
Update on King Charles’ cancer treatment
He continued: “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. My lifelong admiration for their tireless care and dedication is all the greater as a result of my own personal experience.”
Exactly what kind of cancer King Charles was diagnosed with is still not known. However, as per Sky News, the monarch has regularly attended private appointments in London. Shortly before Christmas, the news outlet reported that Charles will continue with his cancer treatment in 2025.
Moreover, sources said his treatment “has been moving in a positive direction.” Speaking to Sky, Laura Lee, chief executive of the cancer support charity Maggie’s–which Queen Camilla is president of–said it’s not rare that cancer treatment takes time.
“It’s very common for treatment to be ongoing for very long periods of time, as is the treatment that the Princess of Wales went through, which is an intense period of treatment over a year, and then it comes to a point where it’s on an end, and she’s on that recovery from some of the impacts of her treatment,” Lee told Sky News.
“So we’ve got immunotherapy, chemotherapy, surgery, hormone therapy. There are all sorts of different treatment modalities. And so it’s not surprising at all.”
She continued: “What we’ve heard from our centre visitors, it’s been good that they haven’t just shone a light on one specific cancer type, but they’ve shone a light on cancer as a whole, and that there’s varying treatment and varying impacts and varying different ways of navigating the challenges that cancer bring. And I think that approach has been much more effective and positive for the cancer community. I know firsthand that everyone is so grateful to them for doing that.”