Despite inheriting longevity genes from his parents, Elizabeth II and Prince Philip – and his grandmother, the Queen Mother, who turned 101 – Charles still regularly skips lunch, has a strong preference for organic produce and takes the Royal Air Force to do sit-ups twice a day. , push-ups and spread eagle jumps.
His only real health concern, until last month, were swollen “sausage fingers”, which he joked about at his coronation, and previous injuries when he fell from polo and horse hunting in his 30s and 40s.
Perhaps it is important to remind ourselves that his mother's long reign was a historical anomaly. Long periods of stability are the exception, not the rule. After all, the Royal Institution has 1,000 years of experience in dealing with such situations.
There are state counsellors, appointed under the law since 1937, for this very reason, although he asserts that they are not needed at the present time.
If so, William, the Prince of Wales, Queen Camilla and Princess Anne, are just three of seven family members who could carry out royal duties if they fall ill temporarily. Edward, the Duke of Edinburgh and Princess Beatrice could also apply legally. Another pairing of Prince Harry and Prince Andrew is unlikely to get approval.
If asked to do so, the king would issue letters patent to delegate powers to the chancellors. These most likely indicate the period in which they would be in charge and were used several times when kings went on foreign trips.
King Charles III and Queen Camilla at the Palace of Westminster to attend the official opening of the British Parliament in November.credit: Getty Images
A monarch falling ill is not a new area in the history of Britain or the Commonwealth. Charles was able to come forward when his mother was too ill to open Parliament for two years.
When his grandfather, George VI, was bedridden with lung cancer in 1951, the Lord Chancellor opened Parliament on his behalf. George IV was 48 years old when he became regent in 1811, as a result of the illness of his father, George III.
In short, there are a set of mechanisms to temporarily relieve the king of his duties if necessary.
The return of Harry, the exiled prince, will create interesting headlines, but it's a reminder that most family feuds can be put aside when more important events overtake them. The tense relations between the king, the heir, and the reserve have been well documented
Perhaps, as Harry prepared to board the plane in California, he was remembering his father's words.
“Please, boys…don't make my last years miserable,” he reportedly told his sons, according to Harry's searing memoir, additional. His wife, Meghan, is expected to remain in the United States with her two children, Archie and Lilibet. Perhaps a sign that the king's condition is not serious.
Medical commentators were quick to point out that, at 75, Charles is entering the years when people are most vulnerable to cancer. More than a third of new cases in the UK each year are found in people aged 75 and over. The highest rates are in the 85-89 age group.
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Dr Lorna Hood, an additional chaplain to the king in Scotland, said on Monday evening that the announcement showed the “humanity” in the king. “He is ours, he is a human being and these things have happened to us,” she told Radio Times. “Just as we said coronavirus has no borders, cancer affects all people in all kinds of situations and in all kinds of ways.”
We are told that the king learned of his condition last week. Details have not been disclosed but diagnosing forms of the disease can include blood tests, scans and biopsies.
While surgery is usually the first treatment for most types of cancer, the palace statement said the king had begun a “schedule of regular treatments,” suggesting another type of cancer treatment such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy or immunotherapy.
There is a risk that the palace choosing to open one minute and not the next could fan the flames of speculation, something he said he was keen to avoid. But the king has the right, after all, to keep certain details private.
In such moments, we must remind ourselves that the crown always outlasts the king.
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