King Charles III Diagnosed With Cancer Following Prostate Procedure
Buckingham Palace has announced that King Charles III has been diagnosed with “a form of cancer” following a recent prostate procedure.
“During The King’s recent hospital procedure for benign prostate enlargement, a separate issue of concern was noted,” according to the emailed statement per NBC News. “Subsequent diagnostic tests have identified a form of cancer.”
The news comes a week after the Royal was discharged from a private London clinic following a “corrective procedure” for an enlarged prostate. Around the same time on January 17, daughter-in-law Kate Middleton underwent unspecified abdominal surgery.
Born in 1948 to Queen Elizabeth II, Charles Philip Arthur George is the eldest of the Queen’s children and the reigning monarch. Despite the diminished legislative powers of British monarchs at his birth, Charles has embraced ceremonial duties, embodying the symbolic role while adapting to the social changes of the 20th century.
Breaking tradition, Charles became the first Royal to earn a university degree, graduating with a B.A. in anthropology from Trinity College in 1970. He received a seat in the House of Lords that same year. He served in the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force until 1976, and established The Prince’s Trust upon discharge, marking the beginning of his involvement in numerous charitable causes.
In 1981, Charles married Lady Diana Spencer, and the two formed one of the world’s most recognizable couples. Despite public appearances, their union faced challenges, leading to an official separation in 1992 and divorce in 1996 just one year before Diana’s tragic death in 1997.
Continuing public service, Charles has earned praise for his goodwill efforts, such as commissioning a wreath from French battlefields for the Canadian Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in 2001. He wed his longtime girlfriend Camilla Parker Bowles in 2005, opting for a civil ceremony over traditional church wedding norms.
Upon turning 65 in 2013, Charles became eligible for a state pension, which he promptly donated to The Duke of Cornwall’s Benevolent Fund. Known as Prince Charles until Queen Elizabeth II’s death on September 8, 2022, he then assumed the title of King Charles III with a coronation on May 6, 2023.
