King Charles III said on Wednesday that his life with cancer had brought “into sharp focus the very best of humanity” as he expressed gratitude to medical staff and charities that work with cancer patients across Britain.
His reflections, delivered in the form of a written message to guests attending a reception for cancer care charities at Buckingham Palace, opened a small window into his experiences as a patient, although he did not give any update on his condition.
The king announced in February 2024 that he had received a diagnosis that he had an undisclosed form of cancer, and he has been undergoing weekly treatments since then.
“Each diagnosis, each new case, will be a daunting and at times frightening experience for those individuals and their loved ones,” the monarch said in his statement.
“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.”
Charles, 76, has soldiered through his illness with no public complaint and very little discussion. And while he has spoken in elegiac tones about the time he has left on the throne, he has offered no guidance about how long that might be.
He said that his diagnosis had given him “an even deeper appreciation of the extraordinary work” undertaken by the charities and individuals attending the palace reception on Wednesday night, which included Macmillan Cancer Support and a children’s hospice.
He had visited many of the organizations in previous years, he said, in his role as a royal patron. “And it has reinforced what I have long observed during these visits — that the darkest moments of illness can be illuminated by the greatest compassion,” he added.
Worries about Charles flared last month when he was briefly hospitalized after suffering side effects from his treatment. The palace characterized it as the “most minor bump in a road that is very much heading in the right direction.”
The king has returned to an active schedule in recent months, including regular foreign and domestic travel. This month, Charles and his wife, Queen Camilla, flew to Rome for a four-day state visit to Italy, during which the king gave a well-received address to the Italian Parliament, sprinkled liberally with Italian phrases.
The couple also paid an unexpected visit to Pope Francis at the Vatican, just 13 days before he died.
Charles’s reticence about discussing his illness or treatment is in contrast to his daughter-in-law, Catherine, the Princess of Wales, who confirmed that she, too, had been diagnosed with cancer a year ago in a recorded video.
Although she has not disclosed what kind of cancer she had, she marked the end of her chemotherapy treatment in September with a highly personal video that offered home-movie-style glimpses of her with her husband, Prince William, and their three children.
Charles ended his message by recalling the words of Deborah James, a British podcaster and writer who chronicled her struggle with bowel cancer and campaigned for better awareness of the illness, and who died in 2022.
The king said that for those people receiving the news of a diagnosis “today, tomorrow or at any point in the future,” he could “only echo” the words of Ms. James, whose parents were attending the reception.
“Find a life worth enjoying,” he said, quoting Ms. James. “Take risks; love deeply; have no regrets; and always, always have rebellious hope.”
