King Charles ‘different’ after cancer fight – ‘One key thing shows just how he’s changed’

If 1992 was Queen Elizabeth II’s ‘annus horribilis’ or ‘horrible year’, then 2024 is set to be a year King Charles III would rather forget. In February, just nine months after his Coronation, Buckingham Palace announced the sombre news that His Majesty had been diagnosed with an unspecified form of cancer, discovered during treatment for an enlarged prostate, but not related to prostate cancer. At the same time, his daughter-in-law, the Princess of Wales, had temporarily stepped back from public duties while recovering from abdominal surgery.

However, in a shocking twist mirroring the King’s own health scare, her situation turned out to be far more serious. After weeks of speculation about her health, Kate revealed in a video released by Kensington Palace in March that post-op tests had detected cancer. “My medical team therefore advised that I should undergo a course of preventive chemotherapy and I am now in the early stages of that treatment,” she disclosed, as reported by OK!. The revelation sent shockwaves around the globe.

Now, with Kate having completed her cancer treatment and King Charles responding positively to his treatment plan, Royal expert Duncan Larcombe suggests the family will be looking to put their troubles behind them. “It’s been a lousy year for them. Health issues have dominated the news agenda and hundreds of royal engagements have been cancelled,” he comments. “They weren’t the only royals blighted by ill health, either. The Duchess of York revealed she was receiving treatment for skin cancer, so soon after beating breast cancer.”

“This time last year, the King would have been horrified if he knew what lay ahead. It’s a year he’ll want to consign to the history books and move on from. Christmas will be an opportunity for the royals to rally together. They don’t meet up very often as a family in private. Gathering at Sandringham means they can shut out the rest of the world, focus on what’s important and look ahead to new beginnings.” Royal author Robert Jobson concurs, noting that health scares within the family have tightened their bond and highlighted their vulnerability: “The cancer issues have brought the royals closer together and made them realise their own mortality – that life is fragile no matter who you are.”

The effect on other royals, particularly the Queen and the Prince of Wales, is significant, despite their composed public personas, Jobson adds. “The royals might give the impression of keeping calm and carrying on but this has affected them all – doubly so for William. He was crestfallen when he heard the news about his father and, as heir to the throne, he had to face up to what this might mean for his position. And then to hear about his wife, it was all very grim and very difficult for him to deal with. But he had to go out into the public, as did Camilla, and he handled it very well.”

His Majesty himself has spoken candidly about his cancer battle, describing the diagnosis as a “shock” and sharing how he was “reduced to tears” by the outpouring of support. This level of openness signifies a more modern monarchy, suggests commentator Duncan. “It represents a shift in the way our royals are dealing with the kind of private issues that they would never have spoken about in the past,” he says. “It’s the end of their old adage ‘never explain, never complain’. The King and Kate were both forced to explain precisely what was happening.”