King Charles III has been deeply moved by the support he’s received in the wake of his recent cancer diagnosis. On Wednesday, the 75-year-old British monarch had his first in-person meeting with British Prime Minister Rishu Sunak at Buckingham Palace since his announcement regarding his health.
During the meeting, which was filmed by Sky News, the prime minister is heard telling Charles, “Wonderful to see you looking so well.”
“It’s all done by mirrors,” Charles jokes, laughing.
The prime minister laughed too, adding, “Well, we’re all behind you. The country’s behind you.”
For his part, Charles seemed touched, noting, “I’ve had so many wonderful messages and cards. It’s reduced me to tears most of the time.”
One positive to come from the experience for Charles has been the spotlight placed on cancer awareness and charities.
“There’s been a lot of attention and interest in those main cancer charities,” he told Rishu.
This marked the first time Charles has been seen meeting with the prime minister since he revealed to the public that he has cancer earlier this month. The announcement came after an unrelated procedure for his enlarged prostate. The Palace has not clarified what kind of cancer Charles has or what stage.
He previously released a statement thanking the public for their support.
“As all those who have been affected by cancer will know, such kind thoughts are the greatest comfort and encouragement,” the statement began. “It is equally heartening to hear how sharing my own diagnosis has helped promote public understanding and shine a light on the work of all those organizations which support cancer patients and their families across the UK and wider world.”
In the wake of his diagnosis, Charles’ oldest son, Prince William, has taken over many of his official duties. William’s wife, Kate Middleton, is also recovering from abdominal surgery, which took place last month at The London Clinic where Charles was also treated.
Meanwhile, Prince Harry, who is mostly estranged from the royal family since he and his wife, Meghan Markle, relocated to California in 2021, came to the U.K. earlier this month to visit with his father in the wake of his diagnosis.
Royal expert Katie Nicholl recently spoke with ET and shared some insight into the state of their relationship and how Harry has handled the news of his father’s illness.
“His father personally telephoned him to inform him of his cancer diagnosis, [and] Harry jumped on the overnight flight from Los Angeles,” Nicholl shared, adding that when he arrived in London, Harry “came straight to Clarence House for what we understand was a brief meeting with his father.”
“One could only imagine that it would have been an emotional reunion,” Nicholl said. “Because they haven’t seen each other since the King’s coronation, and then they didn’t get to spend very much time together at all.”
According to Nicholl, Charles “desperately wants to reconcile with Harry,” so he can have a real relationship with both his son and his grandchildren.
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