On February 5, 2024, Buckingham Palace made a shocking announcement. King Charles was diagnosed with an undisclosed type of cancer and had already begun treatment. He was stepping back from public-facing duties because of this.
Officially, Charles is set to return to in-person events in June. He is expected to attend Trooping the Colour and Royal Ascot. Unofficially, sources told Vanity Fair that Charles would like to come back sooner. He may even return to work in May. Time will tell.
Charles did not stop working while undergoing cancer treatments. He worked on administrative things behind the scenes. He also met weekly with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. He attended Privy Council meetings.
“At the moment HRH is doing very well and responding very well to treatment,” a source explained. “He is very keen to get back to public-facing duties before June if he can. He is doing well but is frustrated more than anything else that he has had to take time off. He is being a good patient but not always a patient one.”
Charles enjoys interacting with the public. “What he wants is to be back at work meeting the public and doing what he loves,” the source continued. “That is the bread and butter of what the royal family does, and the king is very keen to be back out. He is determined to be at Trooping and at Royal Ascot if not every day then for at least one, hopefully two days. He is also looking forward to the palace garden parties.”
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While the royal family has been very tight-lipped about specifics regarding Charles’ diagnosis. The source claims that the outlook is positive. “He has been responding very well to treatment and is very positive about his health. It is wonderful to see him so optimistic,” they concluded.
Angela Levin, a royal biographer, worries Charles might be overdoing it. Watch this video to hear her concerns.
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