The state of the King's health was made public by Buckingham palace on Monday February 5th 2024. The shock of the diagnosis comes a week after the 75-year-old British monarch left the hospital following a separate procedure for an enlarged prostate. He had been diagnosed after experiencing symptoms and receiving a check-up while at his Birkhall residence in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.

The exact type of cancer has not been revealed yet, but a royal source stated that it was not prostate cancer and did not specify further. The king has now returned to London and begun outpatient treatment.

"On the advice of his doctors, the King is postponing his public-facing engagements as he receives treatment but will continue with state business and official paperwork. He remains wholly positive about his treatment and looks forward to returning to full public duty as soon as possible,” the palace stated.

What could happen if the King becomes too ill to work?

While all the signals coming from the palace are positive, there are constitutional provisions in place if the King is unable to temporarily carry out his official duties. In that instance, “counsellors of state” can be called upon to step in for him.

Two counselors can be appointed to act on the monarch’s behalf through what’s known as a letters patent and help keep the state ticking over. They would be authorized to sign documents, attend Privy Council meetings, and receive new ambassadors, but not perform some of the most important constitutional roles, such as appointing a Prime Minister.

But thank God for early diagnosis according to British Prime Minister,Rishi Sunak as he stated, the King’s cancer diagnosis had been “caught early.”

We wish King Charles III  a speedy recovery.

You’ve successfully subscribed to FabAfriq Magazine
Welcome back! You’ve successfully signed in.
Great! You’ve successfully signed up.
Your link has expired
Success! Check your email for magic link to sign-in.