By Will Coffman, Staff Writer
King Charles III, the current monarch of the United Kingdom (U.K.), has been diagnosed with cancer less than 18 months into his reign.
In a statement from Buckingham Palace announcing the diagnosis, no specific type of cancer was named. The palace announced that it is not prostate cancer, likely to rule out speculation regarding Charles’s recent treatment on a benign prostate enlargement.
“His Majesty has today commenced a schedule of regular treatments, during which time he has been advised by doctors to postpone public-facing duties,” Buckingham Palace said.
Charles has remained positive about his treatment. “It is equally heartening to hear how sharing my own diagnosis has helped promote public understanding and shine a light on the work of all those organizations which support cancer patients and their families across the U.K. and wider world,” he said in a recent statement.
Charles made his first public appearance following the diagnosis last Sunday, where he greeted well-wishers as he left services at the St. Mary Magdalene Church near the royal family’s Sandringham estate, north of London.
Buckingham Palace announced that the king is stepping back from public duties throughout the duration of his treatment but will continue conducting state business, such as signing papers.
Other duties are likely to be taken over by family members like Prince William, the heir to the throne, or Princess Anne. Prince Harry, the younger son of King Charles, traveled to London to visit the king but has since returned to the U.S.
The palace’s disclosure of Charles’s diagnosis also breaks the longstanding royal tradition in the U.K., which has historically kept the monarch’s health secret.
Throughout her reign, Queen Elizabeth II avoided publicity regarding any serious health crises. King George VI, Charles’s grandfather, died in 1952 due to lung cancer, but this health crisis was not disclosed to the public until after his death.
Reactions from Xavier students indicated a level of goodwill towards the royal family, even among those who do not necessarily see eye to eye with the monarchy as an institution.
“Although I don’t agree with the idea of monarchy, I hope the king gets better,” Drew Freeborn, a first-year Philosophy, Politics and the Public (PPP) major, said.
“I actually like the monarchy, it’s not a bad system, I think it does have its pros, and I’m hoping the king gets better,” Seth Banninga, a first-year PPP major, said.
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