King Charles III is responding well to his cancer treatment. Amid speculation that Charles is doing poorly in his battle with cancer, royal expert Katie Nicholl sets the record straight in an interview with ET.
“There have been claims in some media outlets that the King is not doing well in his battle with cancer. “I think the announcements from the palace and… the King’s imminent return to public duties should put an end to this nonsense, quite honestly,” Nicholl said.
In fact, on Friday, This was announced by Buckingham Palace that the 75-year-old monarch plans to “return to public duties following a period of treatment and recovery following his recent cancer diagnosis.”
“This all suggests that the king is responding well to treatment, which he is doing very, very well,” Nicholl said. “…My sources have told me that the King has responded very positively to his medical treatment and that his medical team is very pleased with his progress. I think the news we’re hearing from the palace really confirms everything because he’s coming back to work.
Next week, Charles and his wife, Queen Camilla, will visit a cancer treatment center. The performance will be her first since then Easter.
“What I think we’re going to see now is that the king is really committed to raising awareness about cancer. “He is very aware of his incredible ability to shine a spotlight on important causes, something he has done his entire life,” Nicholl said. “He is sending a very clear message by making his first visit when he returns to his public duties, a visit to a cancer treatment center.”
In June, Charles and Camilla will host the Emperor and Empress of Japan on a state visit.
“Charles made two state visits during his reign as king. They are quite demanding. They require a lot of time and planning,” Nicholl said. “I think the fact that these things are in the diary are all very positive indicators of his progress.”
In addition to the scheduled appearances announced by the palace, Nicholl said the king is expected to appear at several other events throughout the summer.
“My sources tell me that we can expect to see him at Trooping the Color and that he will be at Royal Ascot, which is a really important date in his diary,” she said. “The wonderful garden parties at Buckingham Palace, so important to the many invited guests, will take place and the King hopes to attend some of them.”
Still, Nicholl warned that while doctors were “so impressed” with how Charles had responded to treatment and were “very willing to allow him to keep up some of his schedule,” his appearances would be “reduced.”
“My sources say that probably the most frustrating thing for the king in all of this was his inability to do the work he wanted to do,” Nicholl said. “…He’s very, very relieved that he can resume this.”
Also encouraging is the new photo from Buckingham Palace, released on Friday, showing the King and Queen walking side by side, smiling. According to Nicholl, “This picture was actually sent as a kind of message of hope, a message that the king was doing very well.”
“The picture was taken in the gardens of Buckingham Palace the day after their 19th wedding anniversary, on April 10,” she said. “They are arm in arm. The Queen wears a beautiful bright blue dress by one of her favorite designers, Fiona Claire. The king is remarkably handsome. He hasn’t lost any hair. He doesn’t look like he’s lost too much weight. This doesn’t look like a king undergoing cancer treatment.
“I think the fact that his medical team has tasked him with carrying out these tasks is a really positive sign,” Nicholl added. “I think there is so much positivity and optimism in this photo.”
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