Buckingham Palace announces King Charles’ return to public duties, months after cancer diagnosis

“This visit will be the first in a number of external engagements His Majesty will undertake in the weeks ahead,” the Palace’s statement reads.

Additionally, they announced that the King and Queen will host Japanese Emperor Naruhito and his wife Empress Masako during a state visit in June.

Charles has reportedly made good progress in his treatment for an unspecified form of cancer. Though he’s well enough to resume much of his usual schedule, he will continue treatments for an unspecified time period. Sources say that he will not carry out his full summer program, and will continue to consult with his medical team.

“His majesty’s treatment programme will continue, but doctors are sufficiently pleased with the progress made so far that the king is now able to resume a number of public-facing duties,” a Buckingham Palace spokesperson said, according to Reuters.

“His majesty is greatly encouraged to be resuming some public-facing duties and very grateful to his medical team for their continued care and expertise.”

LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 14: Prince Charles, Prince of Wales attends the “A Starry Night In The Nilgiri Hills” event hosted by the Elephant Family in partnership with the British Asian Trust at Lancaster House on July 14, 2021 in London, England. The event is the finale of “CoExistence”, a campaign by wildlife conservation charity Elephant Family. (Photo by Jonathan Brady – WPA Pool/Getty Images)

Charles’ diagnosis was first announced to the public on February 5. Doctors discovered the cancer during a hospital procedure for benign prostate enlargement, though officials said it was not prostate cancer.

At the time His Majesty said he would “continue to undertake state business and official paperwork as usual,” but postpone public-facing duties at the advice of his doctors.

He now returns to public-facing duties just shy of the first anniversary of his coronation, May 6, underscoring what an unusual first year it has been for the oldest person to accede to the British throne.

Muhammad Aamir Sumsum / Shutterstock.com

It’s a bit of encouraging news, and return to some normalcy, for the British royal family, who have been dealing with not just Charles’ diagnosis, but the cancer diagnosis of Kate Middleton.

The Princess of Wales was hospitalized in January for abdominal surgery, and remained out of view from the public for months. The press speculated about her health, which grew into a media firestorm after the royals posted an apparently edited photo of Catherine with her children.

The family later revealed that she had been diagnosed with cancer, and has been undergoing chemotherapy since February. She remains on leave from public engagements.