King Charles offered a rare glimpse into his personal health battle this week, telling fellow patients he was "not too bad" as he continues treatment for cancer while preparing for a potentially fraught reunion with his son, Prince Harry, in London.
The 76-year-old monarch, who has been undergoing treatment since early 2024, made the remarks during a visit to officially open the Midland Metropolitan University Hospital in England. When asked by 73-year-old prostate cancer patient Matthew Shinda about his condition, Charles replied, "I'm not too bad," according to Hello! Magazine.
Charles expressed empathy as Shinda shared his own experience. "I'm very sorry about that, it's so frustrating," the king said, according to the BBC. "Half the problem is detecting it, isn't it, in time. The great thing, I think, is they're getting better and better at dealing with these things. The trouble is there's always hope down the road."
Later, while speaking with 85-year-old patient Jacqueline Page, Charles displayed his humor in acknowledging the toll of age. "I know, this is the terrible thing, as I am discovering already. The bits don't work so well when you get past 70," he quipped.
The king's remarks are among his most personal since his diagnosis. Buckingham Palace has not disclosed the cancer type, though officials confirmed it is not prostate cancer. In July, during another engagement, Charles told a survivor he was "feeling a lot better now and that it was 'just one of those things,'" according to local resident Lee Harman.
The health update comes as Charles prepares to see Prince Harry for the first time since February. The Duke of Sussex is scheduled to return to the U.K. for the WellChild Awards on Sept. 8, coinciding with the third anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's death. Palace insiders have acknowledged tension over the prospect of a meeting.
"Harry's team is pushing for an answer, but Palace insiders stress that diaries are 'tight' due to the family's gathering at Balmoral, and there is nervousness about what Harry might expect," a royal source told RadarOnline.com. "There's no appetite for confrontation. But equally, they know Harry is determined - and that makes things tricky."
Relations between Harry and his brother Prince William remain strained. The last time the brothers appeared together was during Charles's coronation in May 2023, where Harry was seated apart and had no public interaction with William or Kate Middleton. A source noted that Harry has long viewed Kate as a potential bridge between himself and William, though reconciliation appears unlikely during this visit.
Meghan Markle will not accompany her husband. Friends told RadarOnline.com she fears returning to the U.K. would "reopen old wounds" and has insisted Harry face his family alone. "Meghan absolutely doesn't want to be seen as the problem all over again," the source said.
