King Charles' cancer was discovered after undergoing prostate surgery (French)
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak expressed his shock upon learning that King Charles III of Britain had been diagnosed with cancer, after announcing that the king would be absent from public life for an indefinite period.
Sunak told the BBC on Tuesday that he was shocked and saddened by this news, adding, "Our hearts are all with him and his family. Fortunately, the cancer was discovered early."
“Everyone hopes that he receives the treatment he needs and makes a full recovery,” Sunak said, adding that he communicates regularly with the king and “this will of course continue as usual and we will deal with everything.”
Buckingham Palace announced yesterday evening that King Charles (79 years old), who ascended the throne 18 months ago after the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, will postpone his public duties in order to undergo a treatment program after he was diagnosed with a type of cancer.
He explained that "during the recent surgery that King Charles underwent in the hospital due to a benign enlargement of the prostate, another problem was discovered," and "later examinations showed the presence of a form of cancer."
The "type of cancer" suffered by Charles, who began treatment yesterday in London, then spent the night at home, was not determined, according to British media.
Buckingham Palace confirmed that doctors advised the king to suspend his public activities, but he will continue "to attend to affairs of state and administrative tasks as usual."
The king said he was "very optimistic" about the treatment, and that he did not intend to completely stop its activities at the helm of the United Kingdom and also 14 other countries.
In light of this situation, it is up to Queen Camilla (76 years old) and the heir to the throne, Prince William (41 years old), who will resume their activities on Wednesday, to represent the monarchy before the public. Prince William is expected to carry out some of the king's duties.
Prince Harry, Charles's youngest son, who lives in California, announced that he would return to the United Kingdom to see his father, despite the severe tension between him and his family.
British newspapers reported that he would attend alone, without his wife, Meghan, and their two children, Archie and Lilibet. He also participated alone in his father's coronation ceremony.
News of King Charles' illness and cancer makes the front pages of British (European) newspapers
Comments and wishes
This sudden diagnosis of the king's illness dominated British newspapers today, and his picture topped their front pages, and one of the headlines in The Sun newspaper was, "Nation shocked as treatment begins." It was headlined, “I have cancer,” while “The Mirror” headlined, “The King’s Cancer Shock,” and “The Telegraph” wrote, “The King Has Cancer.”
“After the turmoil caused by the death of the late Queen and the controversy surrounding the Dukes of Sussex and York (Harry and Andrew), there were hopes for a period of calm and stability after the coronation,” the Telegraph newspaper said in a comment.
The newspaper added, "But diseases cannot be predicted or avoided, not even by a man who takes good care of himself. We and the rest of the nation wish His Majesty the King a speedy recovery."
After the diagnosis was announced, wishes from world leaders poured in for the king’s recovery, including US President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, whose country belongs to the British Royal Crown, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in addition to the entire British political class. , including Scottish separatists and republicans in Northern Ireland.
The most recent problem
The diagnosis is the latest problem facing King Charles since his coronation. Early last year, his son Harry published his memoirs, entitled “Spear,” which included accusations against members of the royal family, including his father and brother, while the king was also forced to deal with accusations against his brother, Prince Andrew, related to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
It is noteworthy that the announcement that the King had a prostate problem was completely different from the secrecy surrounding the health of Queen Elizabeth II in the years before her death on September 8, 2022, at the age of 96. She held the British throne for 70 years, a record for the British monarchy.
Source: Agencies