At 76 and dealing with cancer, no one would blame King Charles for staying home and resting during the busy royal holiday season. But The King carried on with business as usual on Friday, Dec. 20 during his last public engagement before Christmas—and issued a punchy health update in the process.
King Charles and Queen Camilla visited the London borough of Walthamstow to "celebrate community cohesion" and meet local leaders and young people. When asked by Harvinder Rattan, a Sikh faith representative, how he was doing, The King quipped (per the Mirror), "I'm still alive."
His joke follows another update on The King's health, as it was announced on Friday morning that His Majesty's cancer treatments would continue into 2025. As reported by Sky News, a palace source revealed the monarch "has been moving in a positive direction and as a managed condition the treatment cycle will continue into next year."
Sky News continued that "the source added there is a sense of optimism, which can be seen in The King's desire to keep up a busy schedule of public engagements, including during the festive period."
The King met with members of the community in Walthamstow.
King Charles announced he'd been diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer in February after undergoing a procedure for an enlarged prostate, although the conditions were confirmed by the palace to be unrelated.
Queen Camilla serves as president of cancer support charity Maggie's, and its chief executive, Dame Laura Lee, told Sky News that "it's not surprising at all" for The King's course of cancer therapies to be stretched out into 2025.
"It's very common for treatment to be ongoing for very long periods of time, as is the treatment that the Princess of Wales went through, which is an intense period of treatment over a year, and then it comes to a point where it's on an end, and she's on that recovery from some of the impacts of her treatment," Lee said.
"So we've got immunotherapy, chemotherapy, surgery, hormone therapy," she added. "There are all sorts of different treatment modalities."
As for The King's packed holiday schedule, he'll head to Sandringham to enjoy Christmas with 45 members of the Royal Family, but brother Prince Andrew will be staying home amid his recent "Chinese spy" scandal.
-
24 Undeniably Chic Fashion and Beauty Finds on My Summer Shopping ListFrom linen staples to gel bronzer.
-
Naomi Campbell Goes for Baroque on the Cannes Red CarpetShe arrived at a May 20 premiere in one of the film festival's most ornate looks yet.
-
Carrie Bradshaw's Iconic Jimmy Choos Are Back—With a TwistHer famous pairs are all yours now.
-
Is David Beckham Heading for a Knighthood This Year? His Friendship With King Charles Might Be the KeySir Bex at your service.
-
How King Charles Became Richer Than His Mother Queen Elizabeth II Ever WasThe King added approximately $40 million to his personal wealth in the past year alone.
-
Buckingham Palace Releases an Adorable Photo of Queen Camilla's New Rescue Puppy, Moley, Ahead of an Important Royal EventThe Queen is set to pay tribute to her beloved dog Beth, who died in 2024.
-
King Charles Has "Postponed" Major Milestone for Kate Middleton and Prince William, as Royal Expert Discusses Impact of DecisionThe Prince and Princess of Wales might be waiting quite some time.
-
New Documentary Claims King Charles Begged Prince William Not to "Make The Mistake" He Did as a Royal"Charles was very insistent about this."
-
King Charles Shares a Rare Update on His Cancer Battle With a Fan After More Than a Year of TreatmentsThe King spoke with a former cancer patient while visiting the city of Bradford.
-
Princess Beatrice Pairs $34,000 in Diamonds With a Bold Red Gown at Rare Joint Event With King Charles and Queen CamillaThe royals went glam for a good cause.
-
Royal Fans Think King Charles's New Portrait Features a Surprising Piece of Women's UnderwearCommenters claim the alleged item "speaks volumes."
