King Charles had a cancer scare years before he took the throne, which prepared him for his diagnosis earlier this year, a royal insider has revealed.
Buckingham Palace revealed in February that the King had been diagnosed with cancer, which was detected after he underwent a “corrective procedure” for a benign enlarged prostate in January. In a break from tradition, Charles was open about his illness, although the type of cancer he is battling remains undisclosed.
The King’s diagnosis came just months after his historic Coronation at Westminster Abbey and less than two years into his reign. Despite the shocking news, Charles reacted stoically to his diagnosis, according to newly updated insights from acclaimed royal author Robert Hardman.
In ‘Charles III: New King. New Court. The Inside Story’, which is being serialised in the Daily Mail, Hardman reveals that the King’s immediate response was one of pragmatism.
He wrote: “Says a senior aide: ‘Cancer is a very scary word if you’re a king or anyone else. It’s a big shock. But he is a great one for taking things on the chin and then saying, Right. How are we going to get on with this?’ He was very clear that he would carry on doing all of the constitutional stuff in exactly the way that he did before.”
Hardman explains that the King’s unfazed approach to cancer was because he had a “deeper understanding of the disease than most”. Not only was this thanks to his work with several cancer charities, but a former member of Charles’ staff even revealed that the King had grappled with a cancer scare some years previously.
The King’s long-term connections with other cancer sufferers also informed Charles’ decision to make his diagnosis public, which an insider claims was an “easy decision”.
A member of the King’s staff said: “When you know the King has got cancer, every cancer sufferer could feel connected to him. If we said exactly what it is, others with a different diagnosis might feel less connected. And if part of the point here is for him to be sharing his story, then it is better to be, if not all things to all people, then as many things to as many people as you can be.” Buckingham Palace declined to comment.
After several months of treatment, the King’s doctors have now given him the go-ahead to return to a full programme of events next year, including two major overseas tours. Charles is keen to launch into high-profile tours in the spring and autumn, with Canada included among his potential destinations.
A Palace official said: “We’re now working on a pretty normal-looking, full overseas tour programme for next year, which is a high for us to end on, to know that we can be thinking in those terms.”
Doctors and royal aides will likely be buoyed by the recent success of the King’s nine-day visit to Australia and Samoa with Camilla earlier this month. Charles, 75, had reduced his usual duties over the summer to ensure that he was fully energised for his trip Down Under, although he looked weary at moments throughout his tour.
Hundreds of Australians flocked greet the royals throughout their visit, with a crowd of 10,000 congregating outside the Sydney Opera House to catch a glimpse of Charles on his last day in the country.
A palace official said: “It is hard to overstate the joy that the King takes from duty and service, being in public and seeing those crowds.
“The idea of these tours always is to leave a trace behind, and that was why the King was very keen that those legacy projects should be launched while we were here. He has genuinely loved this tour. It has lifted his spirits, his mood and his recovery. In that sense, the tour –despite its demands – has been the perfect tonic.”
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