King Charles Shuts Down Chatter About His Health
King Charles still has cancer, but he's going back to work. Here's how the palace is squashing rumors about the king's health.
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00:00 "King Charles still has cancer, but he's going back to work."
00:03 Here's how the palace is squashing rumors about the king's health.
00:07 The internet has been buzzing with concern and questions about King Charles' health since
00:11 news broke on April 25th that the king's funeral plans are being re-evaluated.
00:15 This came along with word from a source that the king was sicker than the royal family
00:19 was saying.
00:20 The very next day, Buckingham Palace announced that the 75-year-old monarch will soon be
00:24 back to his public duties.
00:26 Regardless of what is going on behind closed doors, this announcement and its timing make
00:30 it quite clear that Charles does not want the public worrying about his health any more
00:34 than they already are.
00:35 According to a statement from Buckingham Palace on April 26th, doctors are sufficiently pleased
00:39 with the progress made so far that the king is now able to resume a number of public-facing
00:44 duties.
00:45 The king took a break from making public appearances when he was diagnosed with cancer back in
00:48 February.
00:49 The palace noted that the doctors who are helping Charles are, quote, "very encouraged
00:53 by the progress made so far and remain positive," which is in direct opposition to the recent
00:57 rumors that the king's health was deteriorating.
01:00 According to Buckingham Palace, King Charles III will be making his return to the public
01:04 eye with a very fitting appearance.
01:06 He and Queen Camilla will head to a cancer center to meet with staff and patients.
01:09 The palace said,
01:10 "This visit will be the first in a number of external engagements His Majesty will undertake
01:14 in the weeks ahead."
01:15 The statement notes that Charles' return to his public duties does not mean that he is
01:19 finished with his cancer treatment.
01:21 He will still be in treatment and follow his doctor's advice.
01:24 Consequently, the statement adds,
01:25 "It will not be a full summer program."
01:27 "I guess he will be taking very strong advice from his medical team not to overdo it."
01:32 The fact that this schedule and statement came a mere 24 hours after the talk about
01:36 the king's rumored poor health began circulating seems like part of why the statement was made
01:40 in the first place.
01:41 In reality, though, it may have a lot to do with Charles' desire to get back to work.
01:45 In March 2024, Charles' nephew, Peter Phillips, opened up to Sky News Australia, saying that
01:50 Charles was frustrated to be away from work.
01:52 He explained,
01:53 "He is always pushing his staff and everybody and his doctors and nurses to be able to say,
01:58 'Actually, can I do this?
01:59 Can I do that?'"
02:00 He's obviously very keen to get back to a form of normality.
02:03 "Anyone who's had cancer will know that this is important to have those small elements
02:08 of progress."
02:09 The timing of King Charles' cancer diagnosis was particularly difficult because of how
02:13 it coincided with Princess Catherine's own cancer diagnosis.
02:17 Many conspiracy theories and rumors exploded before Kate Middleton revealed what had kept
02:21 her from the public eye.
02:22 With the Photoshop controversies in secrecy, much of the public has found it increasingly
02:26 difficult to trust the royal family throughout the past few months.
02:30 Consequently, the palace's instinct to jump on rumors that the true status of Charles'
02:34 health was being kept under wraps was likely a better choice than letting gossip spin out
02:38 of control again.
02:39 It will be important for the public to see Charles make good on his schedule and return
02:42 to the public eye.
02:44 Not only is it reassuring to the public that Charles' condition is improving, but it will
02:47 be good for royal fans to see the palace make a promise and follow through in the wake of
02:51 all the chaos from the monarchy.
02:53 Even so, it's worth noting that the statement from Buckingham Palace mentioned that Charles'
02:57 engagements will be, quote, "adapted where necessary to minimize any risks."
03:02 From the sound of it, he will opt out when he doesn't feel well enough.
03:05 We're all hoping that the statement is true and that Charles can complete his upcoming
03:08 engagements with ease.
03:09 "I'm not going to be able to get out of bed at night, so I'm going to have to get some sleep." - Charles Buckingham, Prince of Wales, in a statement to E! News.
03:10 "I'm not going to be able to get out of bed at night, so I'm going to have to get some sleep." - Charles Buckingham, Prince of Wales, in a statement to E! News.
03:10 (upbeat music)
03:13 (upbeat music)