King Charles is back at work after his summer holidays, and today, he opened the Midland Metropolitan University Hospital in the West Midlands.
While visiting hospital’s acute elderly care wards, he spoke with cancer patient Matthew Shinda. Shinda later revealed to Hello that King Charles told him “I’m not too bad” when he asked about the King’s cancer treatment. King Charles was diagnosed with an unspecified form of cancer in February 2024, and his treatment is ongoing.
When Shinda said he had prostate cancer, King Charles replied, “Half the problem is detecting it, isn’t it, in time.” The King added, “The great thing I think is they’re getting better and better at dealing with these things. The trouble is there’s always hope down the road. I am sorry about that, it’s so frustrating.”
In early 2024, King Charles received treatment for an enlarged prostate. It was during this procedure that cancer was identified; Buckingham Palace noted he does not have prostate cancer. “The King is grateful to his medical team for their swift intervention, which was made possible thanks to his recent hospital procedure. He remains wholly positive about his treatment and looks forward to returning to full public duty as soon as possible. His Majesty has chosen to share his diagnosis to prevent speculation and in the hope it may assist public understanding for all those around the world who are affected by cancer,” the Palace said at the time.
During his outing today, another patient, Jacqueline Page, told King Charles she was “wearing out,” to which the King replied, “I know, this is the terrible thing, as I am discovering already. The bits don’t work so well when you get past 70.”
Earlier this year, a senior royal aide told the Telegraph that the King is doing “incredibly well” with cancer, saying, “The thing you learn about this illness is that you just manage it and that’s what he does. Medical science has made incredible advances and I genuinely see no difference in him. As long as you just do what the doctors say, just live your life as normal as possible... that’s exactly what he is doing.”
The last official update on Charles’s health from Buckingham Palace came in late March, when the king was briefly hospitalized and forced to postpone engagements. Per the Palace, “Following scheduled and ongoing medical treatment for cancer this morning, The King experienced temporary side effects that required a short period of observation in hospital.” No further details were revealed.
Emily Burack (she/her) is the Senior News Editor for Town & Country, where she covers entertainment, celebrities, the royals, and a wide range of other topics. Before joining T&C, she was the deputy managing editor at Hey Alma, a Jewish culture site. Follow her @emburack on Twitter and Instagram.
