Britain’s King Charles to resume public-facing duties after cancer diagnosis

Britain’s King Charles will return to public duties next week for the first time since being diagnosed with cancer as he is progressing well following treatment, Buckingham Palace announced Friday.

“Her Majesty’s treatment program will continue, but doctors are pleased enough with the progress made so far that the monarch is now able to resume many public-facing duties,” a Buckingham Palace spokesperson said. “Her Majesty is very encouraged to resume some public-facing duties and is very grateful to her medical team for their continued care and expertise.”

75 year old king

The UK Palace revealed in February that the 75-year-old monarch had been diagnosed with an unspecified form of cancer in tests following a corrective procedure for an enlarged prostate. Although Charles continued official state business, the diagnosis caused him to postpone public engagements to begin treatment and rest. The spokesman said his doctors were “very encouraged by the progress made so far and are positive about the King’s continued recovery”.

Read more: King Charles’ funeral plans are being ‘regularly updated’ after cancer diagnosis

Photographed and filmed carrying out few official duties in private, Charles’s only public appearance came last month when he greeted well-wishers by walking abruptly after an Easter church service in Windsor, raising hopes that his health was improving. . The palace said that to mark his return, he and his wife Queen Camilla will visit a cancer treatment center in London next Tuesday.

Japanese Emperor visits

The palace also confirmed that Japanese Emperor Naruhito and his wife, Empress Masako, will pay a state visit in late June. However, Charles will not carry out his normal summer schedule and his plans will be drawn up in consultation with his medical team to minimize the risk of recovery. The king’s absence coincides with the news that his daughter-in-law was being given preventive chemotherapy after tests conducted after major abdominal surgery revealed she had cancer.

The Princess of Wales, aka, Kate Middleton, will return to public duties herself only after her medical team says she is well enough to do so. Charles’s health deteriorated less than 18 months into his reign, following his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth, and less than a year before his coronation, Britain’s biggest ceremonial event in seven decades.

(with agency input)