King Charles Shares Rare Cancer Update — and Opens Up About the 'Terrible Thing' About Life After 70

King Charles was diagnosed with cancer last year, in February, during a routine check for an enlarged prostate. By revealing his illness, the monarch broke with centuries-old royal tradition of strict privacy, a move that resonated deeply with the public. In the same spirit of openness, on September 3, he shared a rare update on his cancer treatment during an engagement at the Midland Metropolitan University Hospital. Speaking with fellow cancer patients, Charles joked about wearing out after 70 while stressing the importance of facing the illness with hope and strength.

During the opening of the Hospital, Charles visited one of the acute elderly care wards, where he met 85-year-old patient Jacqueline Page, from Great Barr. The pair shared a joke about their ageing, with Page telling the King that she was 'wearing out.' Charles quipped, "I know, this is the terrible thing, as I am discovering already. The bits don't work so well when you get past 70." Soon after, fellow prostate cancer patient Matthew Shinda asked the monarch about his cancer recovery and ongoing treatment. Charles replied, "I'm not too bad...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." 

Charles’s visit to Midland Metropolitan University Hospital had been postponed following his brief hospitalization on March 27, and he offered his apologies during the engagement, saying, "I'm sorry I didn't get here a few months ago." The monarch was hospitalized in March after an adverse reaction to his cancer treatment. His office revealed he was admitted to The London Clinic, the same hospital where he reportedly underwent prostate surgery, after experiencing "temporary side effects that required a short period of observation in hospital." A royal insider described the scare as "the most minor bump in the road that’s very much heading in the right direction."

Charles had previously also been outspoken about his cancer battle during an official engagement in Newmarket in July. Lee Herman, a local, revealed details about his conversation with the monarch and said, "I asked him how he was, and he said he was feeling a lot better now and that it was 'just one of those things.’" The King reportedly asked Herman — who also has cancer — about his health. He shared, "He asked me how I was, and I said, 'I'm all good, I got the all clear from cancer last year.’" While Charles has bravely shared his cancer diagnosis, he prefers to keep the type of cancer private.

In February 2024, Buckingham Palace first revealed Charles's battle with cancer in a statement that read, "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 King has reportedly continued to follow doctors' advice and carefully plan his public engagements with his recovery.