By Yuliya Talmazan —
NBC News
King Charles III's cancer
was “caught early
,” Britain's prime minister said Tuesday, a day after the 75-year-old monarch's diagnosis was revealed.
Rishi Sunak's comments brought new details to the British public about the illness, as Prince Harry arrived home to see his father and Prince William, heir to the throne, prepared to step forward and take on some of the responsibilities. the public obligations of the king.
The monarch spent the night at home after beginning his treatment, which left the royal family facing a new health crisis just 18 months after he assumed the throne following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.
King Charles III in London, United Kingdom.Samir Hussein / Getty Images
Buckingham Palace announced in a statement on Monday that a “form of cancer” had been detected while the king was undergoing hospital surgery for a benign enlargement of the prostate.
The facility did not specify what type of cancer Carlos was diagnosed with or what stage it was in and clarified that he did not have prostate cancer.
In addition, the palace stated that although the king remains “totally positive”, he will have to postpone his public duties and other commitments of the same nature.
The king will continue to conduct state affairs and official paperwork as usual, the statement added.
Speaking to BBC radio, Sunak said that, like the rest of the nation,
he was “shocked and saddened”
by the news, and remains in “regular contact” with the king.
“Fortunately it was detected in time and now everyone will wish him to receive the treatment he needs and make a complete recovery,” he told the public broadcaster.
Although sparse in detail, the revelation of the king's cancer diagnosis by Buckingham Palace marks a change from the past, when the monarch's ailments were often hidden from the public.
The statement stipulated that Carlos wanted to share his diagnosis “to avoid speculation and in the hope that it can help public understanding of all those affected by cancer around the world.”
A few hours after hearing the news, best wishes began to arrive from the United Kingdom and other countries.
President Joe Biden wished the king a “speedy and complete recovery” Monday night in a post on X.
“Overcoming a cancer diagnosis, treatment and survival requires hope and absolute courage,” Biden said.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, who presided over the monarch's coronation just nine months ago, also wished him on Tuesday morning “the comfort and strength of God in the coming weeks and months” also in a message written in X.
[Prince Harry has spoken to King Charles III about his cancer diagnosis and will travel to the United Kingdom]
On the streets of London, residents said they were shocked by the news.
Andy Bloomer, a hotel manager, said: “I think of him with all my heart;
“It sounds pretty scary.”
“He is someone who many people comfort.
He will fight like anyone else would.
"It's a horrible shock," Bloomer, 38, added.
The news comes just over a week after both the king and his eldest daughter-in-law, Princess Kate, were discharged from a private London clinic after undergoing medical interventions.
While Carlos underwent a “corrective procedure” for an enlarged prostate, Kate, 42, was scheduled to have abdominal surgery for a non-cancerous condition.
The king's eldest son is now expected to take on some duties on his father's behalf while he undergoes cancer treatment.
The Prince of Wales will resume royal duties this week, his office said, after having to postpone them while his wife recovered.
Meanwhile, British tabloids reported that Harry, the Duke of Sussex, would arrive in the country on Tuesday, after being spotted at Los Angeles International Airport.
Journalists during coverage of the King's diagnosis outside Buckingham Palace in London on February 6, 2024. HENRY NICHOLLS / AFP via Getty Images
A spokesperson for the prince and his wife, Meghan, told NBC News on Monday that Harry spoke with his father about the diagnosis.
“He will travel to the UK to see his father in the coming days,” the spokesperson explained.
This development comes at a time when Harry's relationship with his father and brother appears to be strained after he and Meghan
stepped back from their roles
as senior members of the royal family in 2020, and the deeply personal revelations that followed. Harry published last year in his memoirs.