It’s been the best news to come out of the royal family in a while. During an official engagement the King, who is still having ongoing cancer treatment, was asked by a well-wisher how he was doing. After giving a thumbs-up signal, he replied, “I like to think I’m on the better side.”
His positivity comes as a relief after concerns for the monarch’s wellbeing were raised earlier this month in the interview Prince Harry did with the BBC. In it, he said, “I don’t know how much longer my father has.”
Charles, 76, hasn’t revealed what type of cancer he has or the treatment he’s undergoing. Unlike his daughter-in-law Catherine, Princess of Wales, 43, who announced in September that she’d finished chemotherapy for her cancer and confirmed in January that she was in remission, there have been no official updates about whether the treatment the King’s been having for more than a year is keeping the cancer at bay.
So his optimistic reply has provided hope that as His Majesty heads towards the third anniversary of ascending the throne, he will be around to carry out the role he’s so passionate about.
A palace source says the King has remained upbeat throughout his health issues. He’s looking forward to a “second chapter” of his reign when he’ll tick off more of his to-do list.
“Not once has he allowed himself to question the future – he’s dealt with everything head-on. Now he is back in business and everything is looking positive, which is welcome.”
It’s unfortunate that the King’s health has dominated his reign so far, says royal writer Robert Jobson.
“I think he’s been a very good king. I think he’s been engaged with prime ministers and with big issues like Southport [the killings of three young girls last year that led to rioting in the UK]. However, most people are still focusing on the issue of how well he is. You’re not going to have him slowing down when others would.”
Charles has been very good at looking for the positives to come out of his cancer experience. He has a new-found appreciation for the work done by people who help cancer patients, including charities.
In a message written for a reception at Buckingham Palace that celebrated cancer organisations, the King described how being told you have cancer is a “daunting and at times frightening experience”.
He added, “But as one among those statistics myself, I can vouch for the fact that it can also be an experience that brings into sharp focus the very best of humanity.”
Having cancer had also reinforced to him how “the darkest moments of illness can be illuminated by the greatest compassion”.
Another silver lining to the dark cloud of cancer is closer bonds with some members of his family, particularly his eldest son, Prince William.
The Prince of Wales has stepped up on numerous occasions to support his father and Charles is very grateful. He relishes seeing the responsible, caring and capable man his son has become, says a palace insider. He also enjoys doing joint engagements, like their recent attendance at the Order of the Bath service at Westminster Abbey.
Bedecked in ornate gowns, the pair exchanged a warm greeting in the abbey, and Charles looked proud as William was installed as a Great Master of the Order, an honour the King bestowed on him last year.
A recent documentary shows just how strong their bond is. Prince Charles: Inside the Duchy of Cornwall looks at the work the King did during his time as Prince of Wales to help the duchy – a massive private estate made up of land and property holdings – to thrive. In the programme, William, 42, who is now responsible for the duchy, pays tribute to his dad and his work.
The doco shows Charles watching the footage of William talking about him, along with his response.
“I was deeply touched and moved by what he said,” says the King. “Frankly, it reduced me to tears. Because I suddenly thought, ‘Well, just hearing that from him has made the last 50 years worthwhile.’”
After less than three years as King and with much of that overshadowed by his illness, Charles will keep working hard to leave a worthy legacy, says Robert.
“Has he defined himself yet? Probably not,” he reflects. “But ultimately, he wants to make his mark as King.”
A timeline of Charles’ reign
2022
September 8: Charles becomes King following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. In his first speech as monarch, he promises to serve with “loyalty, respect and love”.
2023
March 30: Charles embarks on the first overseas State Visit of his reign, visiting Germany.
May 6: Although it’s scaled down compared to his mother’s coronation 70 years earlier, the crowning of King Charles III is still a grand occasion.
July 5: The King has his “second coronation”, a service held in Edinburgh to acknowledge him as Scotland’s sovereign.
2024
January 17: Buckingham Palace announces Charles will undergo treatment for an enlarged prostate. The same day, it’s revealed his daughter-in-law Kate has had abdominal surgery.
February 5: An official statement explains that when His Majesty had the procedure to treat his prostate, “a separate issue of concern” was noted. Tests found cancer, but the type is not disclosed.
February 6: Prince Harry flies to the UK to see his father. They spend around 45 minutes together.
February 10: The King shares his first personal message since his diagnosis, thanking people for their good wishes.
February 21: Charles steps back from public engagements as he starts treatment for his cancer. However, he still carries out his weekly meeting with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, telling him the wonderful messages he has received have “reduced me to tears most of the time”.
March 31: His Majesty makes his first public appearance since January, attending an Easter church service in Windsor.
April 30: The King returns to public duties, with his first engagement a visit to a London cancer centre.
September 22: A state visit to France is hailed a huge success for the King and Queen.
October 18: The King and Queen travel to Australia and Samoa for a state visit. While there they attend CHOGM in Apia. The planned New Zealand leg of the trip is cancelled because of Charles’ health issues.
2025
January 27: An emotional-looking King joins other world leaders in Poland to mark 80 years since the concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau was liberated.
March 27: The King is hospitalised at the London Clinic after experiencing temporary side effects from his cancer treatment that “required a short period of observation”.
April 7: On their four-day trip to Rome, Camilla tells reporters it’s difficult to get her husband to slow down. “He wants to do more and more,” she admits.
May 3: Concern grows for the King after Harry, who has only seen his dad once since his cancer diagnosis, tells a BBC interviewer, “I don’t know how much longer my father has.”
May 15: The King shares positive news about how he’s feeling after more than a year of cancer treatment.
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