| Welcome to Royal Watch.
If we thought the royal health news was behind us, that was suddenly interrupted this week by the announcement that King Charles has been diagnosed with cancer.
The King personally told his close family. Prince Harry raced over from California, and then raced back again 24 hours later.
Prince William, already worried about his wife Catherine's recovery from surgery, will be standing in for some engagements while the King receives treatment.
We’ll share any updates with you in the weeks ahead. |
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| | | Charles reveals cancer diagnosis | It’s been a tumultuous time for the Royal Family. This week King Charles was revealed to have a form of cancer.
It was huge breaking news, with the Buckingham Palace statement echoing like a thunderclap in newsrooms around the world.
It was probably the only thing that US presidential rivals Joe Biden and Donald Trump could agree upon, as they both sent messages of support.
The campaign group to end the monarchy, Republic, also wished him a speedy recovery.
It’s been unusual for the palace to be so direct about the King having cancer, maybe a sign of the need for more transparency and not something that would have happened in previous generations.
It might also reflect a pragmatic need to stay ahead of what would have been inevitable speculation if the King had started cancelling events. |
|  | | King Charles and Queen Camilla attended the Sunday service at St Mary Magdalene Church, Sandringham, last weekend. Credit: Getty Images |
| | But it’s a moment that will connect with many families. Getting such worrying health news is shocking and disorientating. |
| | The King’s cancer, discovered during his prostate procedure in a private hospital, will also raise questions about the quality and speed of treatment available to NHS patients. |
| | After that initial news bombshell, there have been few more details. |
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|  | | The King and Rishi Sunak were pictured together at the Global Investment Summit held in Buckingham Palace last November. Credit: Reuters |
| It’s not clear whether expected trips later this year to Canada and Australia will go ahead.
But the King, while stopping his public events, is keeping up with the paperwork as head of state. It’s an echo of when his mother the Queen was working in Windsor Castle during Covid, when “WFH” - working from home - became “WFC”, working from castle. |
| | The King has gone to Sandringham, maybe looking for some calm and respite under those big, grey Norfolk winter skies, and wondering what comes next. |
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| | | | | | Prince William shoulders responsibility | It’s been a gloomy week, but Prince William showed an ability to joke in the face of adversity.
“It’s fair to say the past few weeks have had a rather ‘medical’ focus. So I thought I’d come to an air ambulance function to get away from it all,” he told guests at a fundraiser for the London Air Ambulance.
It was his first day back on royal duty, having been focusing on looking after his wife Catherine, Princess of Wales, while she recovers from abdominal surgery. |
|  | | Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, pictured in Scotland last November. Credit: PA |
| | The news of his father’s health problems means Prince William will be standing in for some of the King’s engagements. |
| | | He also name-checked a famous guest, Tom Cruise, but asked him not to borrow any of the helicopter ambulances for stunts in Mission Impossible. |
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|  | | The Prince of Wales with Tom Cruise at the London’s Air Ambulance charity dinner. Credit: PA |
| | But there’s no escaping that his father’s ill health, no matter how temporary, is likely to make William even more keenly aware of his role as heir. |
| | It must feel like it all happened rather quickly for the prince. The King spent 70 years in his apprenticeship as heir, Prince William has barely been in that position for a year and a half. |
|  | | Prince William during an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle, his first public duty after Catherine's surgery. Credit: Kensington Palace |
| | At the age of 41, he is the youngest of an increasingly elderly and rather fragile group of working royals. |
| | Many of the expectations of the monarchy are going to be on his shoulders. |
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| | | | | Harry’s 24-hour flying visit | If you’d hurried across the Atlantic to see your family, particularly when there are health worries, you might expect a longer meeting than appeared to be the case when Prince Harry arrived at Clarence House to see the King.
The front pages of newspapers had various estimates from 30 minutes to an hour.
Although as a general rule they’re not exactly sympathetic to Prince Harry, who has been campaigning against the excesses of the tabloid press. |
|  | Prince Harry flew back to the UK this week, as he did for the King's Coronation last May. Credit: Reuters
| | But it’s not known what was said privately in this brief meeting or more to the point, what was planned for the future. There could be more flying visits ahead. |
| | What was much clearer though was the lack of any prospect of a get together with his brother Prince William during this one night stay. Sources were clear in advance that there was no plan for a meeting. |
| | Keep the olive branches on hold. |
|  | | Relations between the brothers, seen here at the Queen's funeral in September 2022, have been tense. Credit: WPA/Getty Images |
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