Why King Charles chose to go public with his cancer battle and why he hasn't shared the type he has
The monarch's cancer diagnosis was announced publicly in February 2024This month marked one year since King Charles’ cancer diagnosis was announced to the world – but why hasn’t the monarch revealed what type of cancer he has?
On February 5, 2024, Buckingham Palace announced the king’s cancer diagnosis. He has undergone treatment since.
But why did King Charles, 76, choose to go public with his diagnosis and why hasn’t he shared the type of cancer he has? Let’s take a look.
Why King Charles chose to go public with his cancer battle
Last February, the palace shared why the king had gone public with his cancer diagnosis.
A statement read: “His Majesty has chosen to share his diagnosis to prevent speculation and in the hope it may assist public understanding for all those around the world who are affected by cancer.”
It came weeks after the palace revealed that he would undergo a planned procedure for an enlarged prostate.
In an unprecedented statement, the royal shared: “In common with thousands of men each year, the King has sought treatment for an enlarged prostate.”
It came shortly after the news Kate Middleton was also undergoing a planned abdominal surgery, and wasn’t common for the palace to share updates on two senior royals’ health on the same day.
Does King Charles have pancreatic cancer?
It isn’t known what type of cancer King Charles has as the palace hasn’t confirmed this, however, at the time, the palace did clarify the monarch doesn’t have prostate cancer. They felt they needed to verify this information as King Charles was upfront over his procedure for an enlarged prostate and to avoid speculation this was the type of cancer he had been diagnosed with.
His cancer was identified after he underwent a procedure for “benign prostate enlargement”.
A source seemed to share the reason why King Charles hasn’t revealed the type of cancer he has.
Why king hasn’t revealed the type of his cancer
According to reports, King Charles made the decision not to share the type of cancer he has for a meaningful reason.
His Majesty has chosen to share his diagnosis to prevent speculation.
A source told The Times in December 2024 that “the king’s decision not to reveal the type of cancer was a conscious choice to be able to reach out to the widest number of people who are experiencing the disease, rather than narrow the focus onto a particular form of cancer”.
King Charles cancer update
At the time of writing, the king is still undergoing treatment. However, he has returned to performing his duties – just on a scaled down level.
In December 2024, reports claimed that the king’s treatment would continue into 2025.
Sky News reported that the treatment “has been moving in a positive direction and as a managed condition the treatment cycle will continue into next year”.
In addition, the insider also said there was a sense of optimism seeing the king out doing engagements.
To mark World Cancer Day on February 4, 2025, the royal family’s social media pages shared a video. It howed celebrities speaking out about the disease.
The post read: “This World Cancer Day, we are sending love to all those navigating a cancer diagnosis. As well as the incredible doctors, nurses, charities and families who work tirelessly to support them.”
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