King Charles set to resume public duties after cancer treatment
Buckingham Palace announced on Friday that Britain's King Charles will resume his public duties on April 30 after undergoing nearly three months of treatment for cancer. This positive update on the king's health follows a challenging start to 2024 for the royal family. Just six weeks after the king's cancer diagnosis was disclosed in February, his daughter-in-law Kate revealed that she was undergoing preventative chemotherapy.
Here's a timeline of recent events concerning Britain's royal family, including the king's cancer diagnosis:
- JAN. 17: Kensington Palace announces that Kate, the Princess of Wales, has undergone successful abdominal surgery. On the same day, Buckingham Palace reveals that King Charles, aged 75, will undergo treatment for an enlarged prostate.
- JAN. 18: Prince William, the king's eldest son and heir to the throne, is photographed visiting his wife Kate, aged 42, at the private London Clinic.
- JAN. 22: Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York and ex-wife of Charles' brother Prince Andrew, discloses that she has been diagnosed with a malignant form of skin cancer, her second cancer diagnosis within a year.
- JAN. 26: Charles undergoes planned treatment for an enlarged prostate, admitted to the same hospital where Kate is recovering from her surgery.
- JAN. 29: Both Charles and Kate are discharged from the hospital.
- FEB. 5: Buckingham Palace announces that Charles has been diagnosed with cancer and will temporarily suspend public-facing duties during treatment.
- FEB. 6: Charles makes his first public appearance since the diagnosis, accompanying his wife Queen Camilla via helicopter to his Sandringham estate.
- FEB. 7: Prince William expresses gratitude for the public's support for his wife and father.
- FEB. 21: Charles meets with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in a private audience, expressing gratitude for the outpouring of goodwill.
- MARCH 10: Several news agencies retract a photograph of Kate and her children released by Kensington Palace due to concerns about its editorial standards, sparking speculation on social media.
- MARCH 11: Kate issues an apology for any confusion caused by the edited photograph, attributing it to experimentation with editing. Charles misses a Commonwealth Day event due to ongoing cancer treatment.
- MARCH 22: Kate reveals that tests following her January surgery detected cancer, prompting preventative chemotherapy.
- MARCH 31: Charles greets well-wishers in Windsor after attending an Easter church service, marking his first public appearance at a royal event since his cancer diagnosis was announced.
- APRIL 26: Buckingham Palace announces Charles's return to public duties on April 30, when he will visit a cancer treatment center.
