The shock announcement has inevitably sparked questions about how the family is doing.
Prince William, the next in line to the throne, will be returning to public duties later this week after taking time off to support his wife in her own recovery from abdominal surgery, Kensington Palace announced earlier Monday.
William is in regular contact with his father, according to a source close to the Prince of Wales.
Prince Harry spoke to his father about the diagnosis and will be traveling to the UK to see the King in the coming days, the office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex said.
The announcement also exacerbated a period of difficult health-related issues for senior royals.
Charles’ prostate operation required a three-day hospital visit, during which the tests that revealed cancer were conducted. Queen Camilla, who had visited her husband daily, was by his side as he left last Monday.
Camilla previously said her husband was “fine” and “looking forward to getting back to work” while on recent engagements.
Catherine, Princess of Wales, had simultaneously been dealing with abdominal issues and left the same hospital hours earlier after her operation.
And Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, was also
diagnosed with malignant melanoma, an aggressive form of skin cancer, last month.
Charles had generally enjoyed good health and is known for enjoying long walks in the countryside; he contracted Covid-19 twice, in 2020 and 2022, but recovered in good time on each occasion.
While all the signals coming from the palace are positive, there are constitutional provisions in place if the King is unable to temporarily carry out his official duties. In that instance, “counsellors of state” can be called upon to step in for him.
The current royals that can be called upon to act as Counsellors of State include Queen Camilla, Princes William, Harry and Andrew, and Princess Beatrice. In 2022, the King expanded this pool of royals to include his siblings, Princess Anne and Prince Edward. If this option was enacted over the coming weeks or months, it is unlikely the Dukes of Sussex or York would be directed to step up as they are no longer working royals.
But fortunately, the palace hasn't indicated that such a move would be needed.
Leaders in British politics and around the world were quick to send their best wishes to the King, with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak writing on social media that he has "no doubt he’ll be back to full strength in no time and I know the whole country will be wishing him well."
