How is King Charles coping with cancer? Monarch shares honest insight

Since Buckingham Palace confirmed the cancer diagnosis in February 2024, following a procedure for an enlarged prostate, King Charles has been undergoing regular treatment while largely maintaining his royal responsibilities. After an initial pause from duties, he resumed engagements in April 2024, showing his determination to carry on despite the ongoing health battle.

Over the past months, the King has shared measured, authentic updates. In July 2025, during a walkabout in Newmarket, he told cancer survivor Lee Harman he was feeling “a lot better,” describing his journey as “just one of those things,” a phrase that conveys both understatement and steady endurance.

King Charles reflects on recovery, compassion, and carrying on despite challenges

At a reception hosted at Buckingham Palace in April, King Charles reflected thoughtfully: 

“Each diagnosis, each new case, will be a daunting and at times frightening experience … but as one among those statistics myself, I can vouch for the fact that it can also be an experience that brings into sharp focus the very best of humanity.” 

He added, poignantly, that “the darkest moments of illness can be illuminated by the greatest compassion,” revealing how the challenge has deepened his insight into both personal struggle and communal care.

This September 3, during his visit to the newly opened Midland Metropolitan University Hospital in Birmingham, the King offered a rare and deeply personal health update. He said simply, “I’m not too bad,” to a fellow patient and expressed empathy for the difficulty of early detection, 

“Half the problem is detecting it, isn’t it, in time," he said and struck a note of guarded optimism: “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."

He also shared a moment of self-deprecating levity about aging after an 85-year-old patient remarked she was “wearing out": 

“The bits don’t work so well when you get past 70."

Despite a brief hospitalization in March 2025 due to temporary side effects of the treatment, the King returned quickly to his duties. Royal aides describe his condition as being “managed” effectively, crediting both modern medical care and his own steadfast mindset.