King Charles offered a rare personal update on his health during a public engagement in Newmarket, telling a royal admirer that he is "feeling a lot better now" as he continues treatment for cancer. The remark came Tuesday during a walkabout with Queen Camilla in Suffolk, where more than 1,000 people gathered to greet the monarch and his wife as they visited the National Stud and the Jockey Club Rooms.
Lee Harman, 54, of Bury St Edmunds, who has also battled cancer, said he spoke with the King about their shared experience. "I asked him how he was, and he said he was feeling a lot better now and that it was 'just one of those things,'" Harman told Wales Online. "He asked me how I was and I said 'I'm all good,' I got the all-clear from cancer last year."
The visit comes as Buckingham Palace continues to signal cautious optimism about the monarch's condition. Earlier this month, Keeper of the Privy Purse James Chalmers said: "The King demonstrated remarkable resilience by undertaking a wide program of public and State duties at home and overseas while continuing to receive treatment." The Palace has confirmed that treatment, initiated following a February 2024 cancer diagnosis, will extend into 2025.
Charles, 75, was first treated for benign prostate enlargement in January 2024 before additional diagnostic tests revealed an unspecified form of cancer. The same period saw multiple health challenges across the Royal Family, including abdominal surgery for Princess Kate and her own subsequent cancer diagnosis in March. Prince Harry returned briefly to the U.K. in February to visit his father.
Despite his ongoing health regimen, the King continues to maintain an active public schedule. During Tuesday's engagements, he hinted at royal ambitions in the equestrian world, telling Brian Finch, chairman of Epsom Downs Racecourse, that he is "working on" fielding a horse in the Derby - the one British flat-racing classic that eluded his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.
Charles and Camilla toured the National Stud alongside Lord Grimthorpe, chair of the stud, and Anna Kerr, its chief executive. The King met with representatives from racing charities and spoke with students and educators from the British Racing School and the National Stud's vocational programs. The school boasts an 89% post-graduation employment rate in the racing industry, training approximately 50 students annually.
At one point, Charles was introduced to Stradivarius, a champion thoroughbred with 18 Group 1 wins, who was led over after a parade of resident stallions. "He loves the cameras," his handler said. Charles asked about the horse's daily routine, and Camilla quipped, "That's the good life," upon hearing Stradivarius enjoys turnout by day and stabling with dinner in the evening.
The couple also viewed illustrated storybooks in development by the National Stud designed to introduce children to equine life. The King spoke with illustrator Katie Fleming about her creative process. Meanwhile, Camilla, now patron of the British Racing School, met with authors, educators, and community representatives, including those from the Ebony Horse Club in Brixton.
