Buckingham Palace has announced that King Charles III is feeling well enough to resume some public duties, starting with a visit next week to a cancer treatment centre in London.
The King, 75, was diagnosed with cancer in February and has been receiving treatment ever since. He was admitted to a London hospital at the time for an enlarged prostate, which officials said was benign. They have also said that he does not have prostate cancer, but no further details have been provided.
A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said on Friday that the King’s treatment program will continue, but that doctors are pleased with the progress so far. The spokesperson added that the King was encouraged to be resuming public duties and that he was grateful to his medical team.
It’s not clear how many events the King will be able to attend over the summer and fall, or whether he will travel outside Britain. All engagements remain subject to doctors’ advice, and will be adapted accordingly, officials said.
Japan’s Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako are scheduled for a state visit to Britain in late June. The trip will last about a week and the palace said on Friday that the King and Queen Camilla will host a state dinner at Buckingham Palace.
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Doctors can’t say how long the King’s treatment program will last, but the spokesperson said the medical team is encouraged and remains positive about his continued recovery.
The palace made the announcement just days before the first anniversary of the coronation of the King and Queen Camilla on May 6.
“As the first anniversary of the coronation approaches, their Majesties remain deeply grateful for the many kindnesses and good wishes they have received from around the world throughout the joys and challenges of the past year,” the statement said.
While the King was in hospital in February, the Princess of Wales was also dealing with a cancer diagnosis. Catherine, 42, had been admitted to the London Clinic in January for what royal officials said at the time was abdominal surgery.
In March, Catherine revealed in a video that she was undergoing chemotherapy. She said doctors had believed her condition was non-cancerous but further testing found cancer. “I am now in the early stages of that treatment,” Catherine said in the video.
Officials have not disclosed the type of cancer she has and there have not been any updates on her condition. She has also not been seen in public since the video. The Prince of Wales resumed some public activities this month after taking several weeks off to be with his wife and their three children.
Paul Waldie