LONDON – King Charles III is back at work. It’s been three months since he told Britain he has cancer. He’s been getting treatment. He looked good.
His first outing in the public eye on Tuesday was a symbolic one, a visit to a cancer hospital in the capital, where he spoke with staff, marveled at the CT scanner and met with patients.
He took the stairs, not the elevator.
He sat with one woman, her head wrapped in a scarf, in a set of those plastic chairs they have in waiting rooms. She was attached to an IV drip. He held hands with another patient.
Charles was asked by a patient how he felt. “I’m all right, thanks. Not too bad,” the king replied, according to the royal press pool.
To another patient, Charles said, “It’s always a bit of a shock isn’t it, when they tell you.” He was talking about his own diagnosis.
Charles is the monarch, but he has entered another realm and is now a cancer patient as well. This has unnerved the nation, but the photos of him out again in public appeared welcome.
Yes, the king looked good.
Charles assumed the throne upon his mother’s death of “old age” in September 2022. She was 96. In March, the 42-year-old Catherine, Princess of Wales, wife to Prince William, heir to the throne, revealed that she, too, has been diagnosed with cancer and is receiving treatment.
The palace has not revealed what kind of cancer the king has, except to say it is not prostate cancer, nor has Buckingham Palace given information about his treatment, except to say he is still receiving it.
He and Queen Camilla arrived at University College Hospital via the Royal Bentley. Charles was dressed in a blue pinstripe suit, with a polka-dot tie and a blue pocket square.
He smiled – a lot.
British media splashed photos and video of the event because – to be honest – the big question is: How does the king look?
Charles is 75. Before his diagnosis, he was a remarkably fit man, a keen gardener, who mostly avoids meat, enjoys fish and eats vegetarian one day a week. Unlike many members of his family, he never smoked.
Average life expectancy for a British male is 79 (for an American male, it’s just 73).
Charles waved to photographers outside the hospital, and then jammed his left hand into his coat pocket, a familiar pose.
He received warm applause when he arrived. Upon leaving, the couple were given bouquets.
It was announced that in addition to his other duties, Charles will now serve as patron of Cancer Research UK.
On Friday, the palace released a statement that the king’s treatment program 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.”
It added, “Forthcoming engagements will be adapted where necessary to minimize any risks to His Majesty’s continued recovery.”
In 2023, the Court Circular, a kind of diary, had Charles attending 425 royal engagements, both public and private, according to a count by the Daily Telegraph. In normal times, in the course of the year, there would be one or two state dinners for a visiting head of state, plus trips abroad.
Charles liked to attend international conferences, especially those to combat climate change. There are also frequent investitures – when a royal bestows an honor on a citizen, such as a knighthood – and there are many ribbon cuttings, appearances at cultural and sports events, and visits to tend to patronages.
(c) 2024, The Washington Post · William Booth
Charles is long gone.