King Charles has continued his royal duties while receiving treatment for cancer, including hosting foreign dignitaries and attending the Easter Service.
Despite suspending his public-facing engagements, the 75-year-old has also fulfilled his constitutional role by hosting Privy Council meetings, reading documents in his red box and attending a weekly meeting with the Prime Minister.
Today’s good news about his health means Charles will now return to a more normal schedule with a visit to a cancer treatment centre alongside Queen Camilla next week.
It promises to be a deeply poignant engagement given his own cancer battle as well as that of his daughter-in-law, the Princess of Wales.
Charles is a workaholic who famously packs in ten to 12 engagements and meetings a day and spends many a night alone in his study, furiously writing letters and reading documents well into the early hours.
King Charles III meets with Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt in the private audience room at Buckingham Palace on March 5
Charles chats to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau via videolink on March 6
The King and Queen attended the Easter Sunday service, where they are seen on March 31
The King has insisted on keeping up with his paperwork and holding meetings.
On March 27, Charles had an audience with Mohamed Nasheed, 56, Secretary-General of the Climate Vulnerable Forum, who has won numerous awards for his work on environmental protection and the fight against climate change.
Earlier in the month he was seen shaking hands with Algeria’s Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Nourredine Yazid, and the Ambassador of Mauritania, Samba Mamadou.
He also held a video call with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and held an audience of faith leaders from across the UK in the Buckingham Palace’s Billiard Room.
The King also attended the traditional Easter Sunday service at St George’s Chapel at Windsor, where wellwishers told him: ‘We’ve got your back, Sir.’
In a statement Buckingham Palace said tonight: ‘His Majesty The King will shortly return to public-facing duties after a period of treatment and recuperation following his recent cancer diagnosis.
‘To help mark this milestone, The King and Queen will make a joint visit to a cancer treatment centre next Tuesday, where they will meet medical specialists and patients. This visit will be the first in a number of external engagements His Majesty will undertake in the weeks ahead.
‘In addition, The King and Queen will host Their Majesties The Emperor and Empress of Japan for a State Visit in June, at the request of HM Government.
‘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 Daily Mail has already exclusively revealed that planning is already underway for him to attend his official birthday celebrations, Trooping the Colour, as well as Royal Ascot and the summer garden parties.
The King meeting Ambassador of Burundi, Epimeni Bapfinda, at Buckingham Palace on March 28
The monarch hosts an audience with community faith leaders from across the UK, in the Billiard Room at Buckingham Palace in London on March 26
It is unclear yet whether he will be able to travel to Normandy in June for the major D-Day anniversary commemorations or to Australia, New Zealand and Samoa as planned in October, but it is understood that the King is keen to if his health allows.
The King’s health crisis first became public in January when it was announced that he was going into hospital for surgery on an enlarged prostate.
He remained in The London Clinic for three days.
At the time it thought that the condition was not cancerous, but in February it was revealed subsequent tests had discovered presence of the disease elsewhere in his body.
Buckingham Palace have not revealed the nature of the cancer or details of the treatment he immediately began to receive.
The King sits next to Vijaya Nath, trustee of Windsor Leadership, alongside community faith leaders from across during the audience at Buckingham Palace
King Charles, 75, smiled as he met Mohamed Nasheed, 56, Secretary-General of the Climate Vulnerable Forum, at Buckingham Palace on March 27
Officials have stressed that His Majesty’s treatment for cancer is still ongoing, saying: ‘His Majesty’s treatment programme will continue, but doctors are sufficiently pleased with the progress made so far that The King is now able to resume a number of public facing duties. Forthcoming engagements will be adapted where necessary to minimise any risks to His Majesty’s continued recovery.’
They are not able, at this stage, to specify how long it will continue. A spokesman said: ‘It is too early to say, but His Majesty’s medical team are very encouraged by the progress made so far and remain positive about The King’s continued recovery.’
They added that ‘any public-facing engagements will be announced nearer the time in the usual way, and will remain subject to doctors’ advice’ and stressed that it would not be a ‘full summer programme’.
A spokesman added today: ‘Planning continues for ways in which Their Majesties may attend such Summer and Autumn engagements, though nothing can be confirmed or guaranteed at this stage.
‘All future plans remain subject to doctors’ advice nearer the time, with appropriate adaptations made where necessary to minimise any risks to His Majesty’s continued recovery.’
Charles and Camilla seen at Buckingham Palace in a photo released today
His duties will include both indoors and outdoors engagements, designed to minimise any health risks to him – such as picking up a cold or other bugs – while his health is compromised.
It is understood that each engagement will be reviewed carefully and managed to receive any risks to His Majesty’s continued recovery.
Asked how he was feeling, a spokesman said: ‘His Majesty is greatly encouraged to be resuming some public-facing duties and very grateful to his medical team for their continued care and expertise.’
It is understood that the King is ‘looking forward’ to hosting June’s Japanese state visit, but planning remains fluid as doctors continue to monitor the King’s health.
