LONDON: King Charles was seen in public on Tuesday for the first time since it was revealed he was suffering from a form of cancer as his estranged younger son Prince Harry flew into London to see him.

Buckingham Palace announced on Monday that Charles, 75, on the throne for less than 18 months since the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth, has been diagnosed with the disease and would postpone his public engagements to undergo treatment.

Charles smiled and waved to passers-by as he was driven the short distance from his Clarence House home in central London to Buckingham Palace on Tuesday afternoon. The palace has said the king was remaining “wholly positive”, and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak earlier said the cancer had been caught early.

Harry, who has fallen out with his father and the rest of the royal family since he stepped down from royal duties almost four years ago, arrived in Britain to visit his father as messages of support for the monarch poured in from world leaders.

However, a royal source said there were no plans for Harry to see his elder brother, heir-to-the-throne Prince William, during his visit to Britain. William is expected to step up to fulfil some of the monarch’s duties, along with other senior royals while Charles begins a series of out-patient treatments.

“All our thoughts are with him and his family. You know, thankfully, this has been caught early,” Sunak told BBC radio, saying he had been “shocked and sad” at the news.

Despite the diagnosis, Charles is planning to continue with much of his private work as monarch including his weekly audience with the prime minister and dealing with state papers. Sunak said he was in regular contact with the king. “That will of course continue as normal and we’ll crack on with everything,” he said.

Published in Dawn, February 7th, 2024