The palace said in a statement: “Today, His Majesty the King began a schedule of regular treatments, and during this period doctors advised him to postpone his public duties.”
The palace added: “He remains entirely positive about his treatment and looks forward to returning to full public service as soon as possible.”
The king is expected to continue receiving his “red boxes” containing documents from the government that the king must review. He is not expected to appoint a “state counsellor” or another senior member of the royal family to whom he can delegate duties.
Posted by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak On X, previously Twitter: “I wish His Majesty the King a full and speedy recovery. I have no doubt that he will be back to full strength in no time and I know the whole country will wish him well.
The royal family was already struggling, with Catherine, Princess of Wales, recovering from abdominal surgery, and Prince William, the heir to the throne, stepping back from royal duties to care for his wife and children. William is expected to make a public return later this week. A palace spokesman said Queen Camilla would continue with a “full programme” of public duties.
Prince Harry spoke to the king about his cancer diagnosis, and will travel to Britain to see his father in the coming days, according to a person in the office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
The good wishes poured in. Scotland's leader, First Minister Humza Yousaf, said he was praying for a “speedy recovery”, adding that his thoughts were also directed to the royal family “in what I know will be a worrying time”.
Charles and Camilla were photographed on Sunday arriving together for a church service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham. Buckingham Palace said he returned to his London home, Clarence House, on Monday morning “to begin treatment as an outpatient.”
The palace usually remains silent about the king's health. But a spokesman said the king wanted to make his diagnosis public “to prevent speculation and in the hope that it will aid public understanding of all those affected by cancer around the world.”
The palace noted that Charles, as Prince of Wales, was a patron of cancer charities and “frequently spoke publicly in support of cancer patients, their loved ones and the wonderful health professionals who help care for them.”
The palace's statements to the public and media did not include the specifics of the announcement just a few weeks ago that Charles would undergo a “corrective procedure” for an enlarged prostate. In this case, the written statement provided a link to Britain's National Health Service, which explained that the condition can affect how a man urinates and is common among men over the age of 50.
Camilla was asked last week how her husband was recovering, and she replied: “He's recovering, and he's doing the best he can.”
In its statement on Monday about his cancer treatment, the palace said Charles was “grateful to his medical team for their rapid intervention, which was made possible by the procedure he recently underwent in hospital.”
Recently, members of the British royal family have enjoyed an impressive longevity. Charles's grandmother, the Queen Mother, lived to be 101. His father, Prince Philip, died at the age of 99 – the official cause was “old age”. His mother, Queen Elizabeth II, lived to be 96 years old. “Aging” was also listed as a cause.
Before Elizabeth's death, the Palace only noted that she had “mobility” problems to explain her use of the cane and her limited schedule.
Charles spent more than 70 years as heir apparent. He was 73 years old, and was the oldest person to ascend the British throne. During this long wait, he lived an active life. He was a competitive polo player until the age of 57. He is a strong walker and organic gardener who loves to trim his own hedges.
Charles believes that homeopathic and herbal remedies can play a supportive role alongside modern medicine.
Charles is also known to enjoy whiskey and fine wines. He told a group of nurses that he had never been a smoker. He mostly avoids meat, enjoys fish, and eats vegetarian one day a week. For breakfast, Town & Country magazine reported, he ate a bowl of muesli with some fruit, “often some plums from the garden lightly boiled.”
revision
An earlier version of this article included a headline that appears in web searches inaccurately asserting that King Charles had been diagnosed with prostate cancer. The words in the original URL of this article repeat the error. In fact, a separate problem was discovered during the king's recent prostate operation and was later diagnosed as cancer. The article has been corrected.
