King Charles said on Friday that his doctors can reduce his treatment for cancer in the new year, describing the moment as a “blessing” and testament to remarkable medical advances.
Charles, 77, was diagnosed with an unspecified form of cancer last February, and made the latest announcement in a televised broadcast as part of a national cancer awareness campaign in Britain.
“I am able to share with you the good news that thanks to early diagnosis, effective intervention and adherence to doctors’ orders, my own schedule of cancer treatment can be reduced in the new year,” he said.
“This milestone is both a personal blessing and a testimony to the remarkable advances that have been made in cancer care in recent years.”
Buckingham Palace said that doctors will move his treatment “into a precautionary phase” because he had “responded exceptionally well to treatment”, but they will continuously monitor his health.
DISCUSSION OF TREATMENT IS UNUSUAL FOR ROYAL FAMILY
The news provides some relief to the British royal family after an almost two-year period when he and his daughter-in-law Kate had both undergone treatment for the disease. Kate announced in January that she was in remission, after completing chemotherapy the previous September.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said “I know I speak for the entire country when I say how glad I am that his cancer treatment will be reduced”.
The king’s public remarks about his experience of cancer and his health are unusual for the royal family, which traditionally does not reveal much about the personal lives of its members.
The palace said on Friday the advice from cancer experts is that “it is preferable that His Majesty does not address his own specific condition but rather speaks to those affected by all forms of the disease”.
Wearing a pinstriped suit and a “Stand Up to Cancer” badge, Charles spoke about the importance of cancer screenings and said early diagnosis “quite simply saves lives”.
But he expressed concern that at least 9 million people in Britain were not up to date with the screenings available to them.
“Too often, I am told, people avoid screening because they imagine it may be frightening, embarrassing or uncomfortable,” he said. “If and when they finally do take up their invitation, they are glad they took part.”
KING HIGHLIGHTS IMPORTANCE OF CATCHING CANCER EARLY
Tests detected his cancer after a corrective procedure for an enlarged prostate, Buckingham Palace said in February 2024. At the time, the palace said it would not provide regular updates on his treatment, and did not give details about the cancer.
After some time away from the spotlight, Charles, who ascended to the throne in 2022, returned to public duties in April this year with a busy schedule of ceremonies, appearances and foreign trips, including hosting President Donald Trump on his second state visit to Britain in September.
The king said he had been “profoundly moved by what he called the ‘community of care'” that surrounds every cancer patient, including the nurses, researchers and volunteers who work tirelessly to save and improve lives.
“The darkest moments of illness can be illuminated by the greatest compassion,” he said. “I pray that we can each pledge, as part of our resolutions for the year ahead, to play our part in helping to catch cancer early.”
(Reporting by Andrew MacAskill and Catarina Demony）
