After the announcement from Buckingham Palace that King Charles has been diagnosed with a form of cancer, the King returned to London from Sandringham in Norfolk on Monday morning and has started treatment as an outpatient.
In the statement, they announced it is not prostate cancer, but was discovered during a review of an enlarged prostate.
Although the type of cancer has yet to be revealed, the King is said to be "wholly positive about his treatment and looks forward to returning to full public duty as soon as possible". The palace revealed he will commence regular treatments, with current public engagements postponed.
The statement from the palace announced: "During The King’s recent hospital procedure for benign prostate enlargement, a separate issue of concern was noted. Subsequent diagnostic tests have identified a form of cancer.
"His Majesty has today commenced a schedule of regular treatments, during which time he has been advised by doctors to postpone public-facing duties. Throughout this period, His Majesty will continue to undertake State business and official paperwork as usual.
"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.
"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."
What does this mean for the Royal family?
The Prince of Wales is expected to return to Royal duties on Wednesday February 7, 2024 in his first public appearance following the Princess of Wales' abdominal surgery last month. The next few months are expected to be difficult for Prince William as he returns to work without his wife by his side and now is also expected to cover many of the King's public appearances.
His brother, Prince Harry is reportedly making a return to the UK following his father's diagnosis after being seen at LA airport. His wife Meghan will reportedly remain in the US with their two children.
King Charles returns to public duties
Following his cancer diagnosis, King Charles returned to public duties with his first official engagement on Tuesday April 30, 2024. The King looked radiant as he greeted well-wishers as he made his way to University College Hospital Macmillan Cancer Centre.
He has been patron of Macmillan Cancer Support for three decades now and he was also accompanied by his wife, Queen Camilla. The purpose of the visit was part of his initiative to re-emphasize the importance of early diagnosis and bring more attention to the medical research being conducted at the centre.
The King went on to interact with the medical professionals and patients there as he spoke openly about his treatments and health. While having a conversation with one of the patients there, he admitted that the diagnosis indeed came as a shock to him and that he was set to receive his treatments in the afternoon that day. While this may be the first among several of his future public appearances post diagnosis, the King's schedule for the summer is said to be more relaxed to help him with his recovery.
King Charles early years, relationships and more
The eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, His Majesty King Charles III, is the ruling monarch of the British throne. Born Charles Philip Arthur George, his full name pays homage to his father as well as royal ancestors but we've always known him as Prince Charles and now King Charles III.
From King Charles' younger days to his rich relationship history, there's a lot to learn about the long-serving royal.
How old is King Charles?
King Charles was born on November 14 1948, making him currently 75.
He has three younger siblings, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward.
King Charles's height
King Charles is said to be 5ft 10 inches tall.
The early years
Following his school and university education, the King began training as a jet pilot in 1971. After his passing out parade, he embarked on a naval career, just like his father, grandfather and great-grandfathers.
King Charles's relationships
When he was 31, King Charles began dating the young Diana Spencer. King Charles had previously courted Diana's older sister, Sarah Spencer.
King Charles and Diana got engaged on February 6th 1981 and on July 29, King Charles and Diana married at St Paul's Cathedral in one of the most iconic wedding ceremonies of all time. The couple went on to have sons Prince William and Prince Harry.
It is no secret that King Charles and Diana's marriage was filled with secrets especially during their time living at Highgrove House where Paul Burrell was Diana's butler. The biggest secret was King Charles's affair with his first love, Camilla Parker Bowles, now Queen Consort.
King Charles and Diana officially divorced in 1996 and just a year later, Diana tragically died in a car accident in Paris.
Camilla and King Charles made their first official public appearance together in 1999. It was not until 2005 that they announced their engagement and went on to marry on April 8.
Formal titles
King Charles held the title of Prince of Wales from July 1958 until September 2022. Following the death of his father on 9 April 2021, Charles also inherited the title of Duke of Edinburgh.
As the Queen's eldest son, he also automatically assumed the titles Duke of Cornwall, Duke of Rothesay, Earl of Carrick, Baron of Renfrew, Lord of the Isles, and Prince and Great Steward of Scotland.
Becoming King
As first in line to the throne, Charles automatically became King Charles III following the sad death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth aged 96 on September 8, 2022. Camilla became Queen Consort, as requested in the Queen's statement on the eve of the 70th anniversary of her accession. King Charles' Coronation took place on Saturday May 6, 2023 at London’s Westminster Abbey with some very important people in attendance at the coronation. He also gave the royal Christmas Day speech in 2022 for the first time.
The passing of the Queen has also meant there was a change in the current Counsellors of State. These are senior members of the Royal family who can act on behalf of the monarch. These now are Queen Consort Camilla, William Prince of Wales, Harry, Duke of Sussex, Andrew, Duke of York and Princess Beatrice of York.
King Charles's charity
For over 40 years, The King has been heavily involved in charity work. One of the most well-known charities he founded is The Prince's Trust which helps young people aged 11 to 30 get into jobs, education and training.
He then went on to establish a further 16 charitable organisations of which he serves as president. Together, these charities form The Prince's Charities.
King Charles portrait
The official portrait of the King was taken at Windsor Castle in 2023 by photographer Hugo Burnand and shows His Majesty wearing a Royal Navy uniform of an Admiral of the Fleet and official medals and decorations.
King Charles's painting
King Charles first began painting in the Seventies, having been inspired by an art master at Gordonstoun school, and he has been passionate about painting ever since.
He calls himself, "An enthusiastic amateur" but is described by many as one of the UK's most successful living artists. Copies of his watercolours are reported to have raised more than £2 million for the Prince's Trust charity.
King Charles prefers painting outdoor scenes such as mountains, streams and beautiful vistas. He once said putting brush to canvas "transports him to another dimension."
King Charles takes on A Royal Grand Design
He's becoming quite the regular on our TV screens recently, and we're not complaining. In this new ITV1 documentary, Charles is giving us a look into the renovation of his Dumfries home and how he spent over a decade saving the house which is now owned by The Prince's Foundation to help regenerate the local community.
Speaking on the teaser clip, he said; "I wanted to try and make a difference to the local area. It had many of the worst indices of unemployment and ill health and everything else. I'm one of those people who likes taking on the most difficult challenges. I felt it was worth taking this appalling risk and taking out such a big loan."
King Charles on The Repair Shop
We loved watching King Charles in a recent episode of The Repair Shop as part of celebrations for the BBC's centenary. His Majesty took a piece of pottery made for Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee and an 18th Century clock to be restored by the programme's team of experts.
At the time of filming, Charles was Prince Charles, and he was keen to share his passion for preserving heritage craft skills. It was also very obvious to viewers that he's a big fan of The Repair Shop himself.
The Repair Shop host Jay Blades was brilliant with Charles, saying: "You've got someone from a council estate and someone from a royal estate that have the same interests about apprenticeships and heritage crafts and it is unbelievable to see that two people from so far apart, from different ends of the spectrum, actually have the same interests."
The special episode of The Repair Shop aired on October 26, 2022 at 8pm on BBC One. You can catch up on the BBC iPlayer.
King Charles's fingers
Surprisingly, photos of King Charles' pulling a pint of beer in South London caused quite a stir in the media in 2021 due to his swollen digits.
While the swollen fingers could be down to numerous things such as fluid retention or a change in temperature, King Charles himself has previously referred to having "sausage fingers".
Features & Reviews Editor Emily Gilbert has been a journalist since 2015 and has worked across a variety of specialist and lifestyle brands both in print and online. Specialising in travel content and product reviews, Emily is the first to know about all the exciting new releases, her favourite being gadgets for the home.
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