King Charles will still need cancer treatment in 2025, it was revealed today.
A Buckingham Palace source has said the 76-year-old’s health is still “monitored” but is “moving in a positive direction.”
But Her Majesty intends to return to a full program of public functions next year.
This will include overseas visits in the first half of 2025, the source said.
“His treatment has progressed in a positive direction, as a controlled condition the treatment cycle will continue until the new year,” the Palace source said.
Charles hosted members of the Royal Family at Buckingham Palace yesterday for a pre-Christmas lunch. Today the Kings will celebrate their last public event of the year.
He has also increased his commitments recently, including a visit to Apple’s London headquarters and a meeting with CEO Tim Cook.
“At the beginning of the year you could almost forget that this was a man facing the shock of being diagnosed with cancer,” a source told Sky News.
Yesterday, the Prince and Princess of Wales released their Christmas card, featuring a photograph of the couple with their three children in Norfolk in a nod to Kate’s cancer battle.
King Charles III attends a Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace for the Royal Family yesterday
The card was posted online at 2pm, three hours after it emerged the family would not be attending the Royal Family’s traditional pre-Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace.
Instead, Prince William and Kate are said to be hoping to spend time with members of the Royal Family as usual at the Sandringham estate over Christmas.
The image on the card shows William and Kate in Norfolk, where Anmer Hall became a safe haven for the princess while she recovered from cancer treatment earlier this year.
It is taken from the video published by Kate in September confirming that she would return to public duties after completing her chemotherapy treatment.
The social media post read: “Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas,” with the words inside the card reading: “Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and New Year.”
MailOnline understands that the Welsh are already in Norfolk with their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, and had always planned to be there.
It has also become clear that William and Kate’s absence from the lunch was in no way related to Prince Andrew’s withdrawal amid the ongoing Chinese “spy” scandal.
The Prince and Princess of Wales published their Christmas card on social media today
The Prince and Princess of Wales in the original image, part of a video broadcast on September 9
Confirmation from the royal source came shortly before 11am, around the exact same time Charles was seen arriving at Buckingham Palace for lunch.
Kate, who has been gradually returning to public events after revealing in September that she had completed cancer treatment, was last seen with her family on December 6 at Westminster Abbey for her ‘Together at’ carol service. Christmas’.
Four days later, William said during a visit to Picton Barracks in Wiltshire that he was looking forward to Christmas but was “not ready” and would celebrate with 45 family members at Sandringham “all in one room”, although “normally they are scattered.” ‘.
George, Charlotte and Louis have been on Christmas holiday since last Friday when Lambrook School near Windsor, which they all attend, closed until January 8.
William and Kate have been photographed arriving at the luncheon in previous years, including 2018 and 2019. The event did not take place in 2020 or 2021 due to the pandemic.
Prince William, George, Charlotte, Louis and Kate during the ‘Together At Christmas’ carol service at Westminster Abbey on December 6, 2024 – the last time the family was seen
It comes after William described the last year in which his wife and father were treated for cancer as “brutal”.
The Prince spoke candidly about the royal family’s major health problems in an interview while in South Africa last month, saying 2024 has been “probably the most difficult year of my life” and a “horrifying” experience.
When asked on Nov. 7 about his year, William responded, “Honestly, it’s been terrible. It was probably the hardest year of my life. So trying to get through everything else and keep everything on track has been really difficult.
‘But I’m very proud of my wife, I’m proud of my father, for handling the things they’ve done. But from a personal and family point of view, it has been, yes, it has been brutal.”
Kate appeared in a deeply personal video with her family in September to confirm her return to public service after completing a course of chemotherapy.
The princess’ heartfelt message about her cancer journey was expressed through images showing Welsh people and their children enjoying the outdoors, and she said her focus now was “doing what I can to stay cancer-free.”
The Princess of Wales during a visit to Southport Community Center on October 10
The Princess of Wales at the Wimbledon Championships at the All England Club on July 14
George, William, Louis, Kate and Charlotte at Buckingham Palace for a flyover on June 15
She described the previous nine months since her serious health problems began as “incredibly difficult for us as a family” and how “the cancer journey is complex, scary and unpredictable for everyone,” and the experience gave her a “new perspective on everything.” “. ‘
The King’s cancer diagnosis was announced in February and he has been receiving treatment for an undisclosed form of the disease as an outpatient, but will return to fuller duties and increased overseas travel next year.
Yesterday, the Duke of York walked out of the king’s pre-Christmas lunch because he remains persecuted for his links to an alleged Chinese spy.
Andrew decided not to attend the meeting after speaking to his ex-wife and close friend Sarah, Duchess of York, according to a source.
The king’s brother had already backed out from joining the royals at Sandringham over the festive period.
It was previously revealed at a High Court hearing that alleged Chinese spy Yang Tengbo, who had been banned from entering the UK, was said to be a “close” confidant of Andrew.
Yang, who was named after an anonymity order was lifted on Monday, has insisted it was “completely false” to claim he was involved in espionage and has “done nothing wrong or illegal.”
Earlier this week, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex shared a rare photograph of their two children as part of a series of images for their official Christmas card.
Six images are included with the card, sent via email, which has the message: “On behalf of Prince Harry and Meghan’s office, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Archewell Productions and the Archewell Foundation, we wish you a very happy parties”. and a happy new year’
Earlier this week, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex shared a rare photograph of their two children as part of a series of images for their official Christmas card.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were shown outdoors about to hug Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet as their son and daughter ran into their arms.
The couple have rarely exposed their children to the spotlight and their faces are not shown in the picture as three-year-old Lilibet approaches her father while five-year-old Archie runs towards his mother.
It looks like the couple, who left their jobs as royals and moved to California in 2020, may be in a park as their three dogs are in the picture.
Six images are included with the card, sent via email, which has the message: “On behalf of Prince Harry and Meghan’s office, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Archewell Productions and the Archewell Foundation, we wish you a very happy parties”. and a happy New Year.’
The card is intended for professional use by the couple and their team, and the Sussexes will send a separate card to their family and close friends that will remain private.