King Charles III has been diagnosed with cancer and the 75-year-old monarch will now undergo treatment during which he will not perform public duties, Buckingham Palace said.
The palace did not specify the type of cancer found, other than to rule out prostate cancer. The king was recently treated for a benign prostate enlargement and it was during this treatment that the condition was discovered, the report said.
“The King is grateful to his medical team for the quick intervention made possible by a recent procedure at the hospital,” Buckingham Palace said. “He remains completely positive about his treatment and hopes to return to full social activities as soon as possible.”
Although he will suspend his public appearances, the king will continue to fulfill his constitutional role as head of state and commander-in-chief of the armed forces. He was last seen in public outside a church service at Sandringham in Norfolk on Sunday, where he has one of his residences.
Prince Harry has spoken to the king about the diagnosis and will travel to the UK from California in the coming days to see his father, the PA news agency reported, citing a person familiar with the situation.
In the House of Commons, Speaker Lindsay Hoyle took a break from business as usual to wish the monarch a full recovery. “I know the whole country will wish him well,” Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on X earlier on Twitter.
King Charles was crowned last May. He has been next in line to the throne for over 70 years, as no monarch has sat on the throne longer than his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, who died in September 2022.
According to his office, he underwent prostate surgery at a private London hospital more than a week ago, deciding to inform the public to encourage men to undergo prostate testing.