King Charles said his cancer recovery isn’t “too bad” as he chatted with patients during a visit to open a new hospital yesterday. Charles, 76, was met by huge crowds and loud cheers on Wednesday as he arrived at the Midland Metropolitan University Hospital to officially open the 736-bed facility in Smethwick.
Chatting with patients on the acute elderly care wards, the King lightened the mood by joking that he was discovering that “bits don’t work so well once you get past 70”. He met with Matthew Shinda, 73, who is receiving treatment for prostate cancer and is from Oldbury.
Mr Shinda told the King, “I’ve got what you’ve got”, referring to the monarch’s cancer diagnosis, before revealing: “Last stage. I could go today, I could go tomorrow.”
The King was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer last February and continues to undergo treatment while maintaining a punishing schedule at times. In May, one of the King’s senior aides remarked that he is “managing” his illness and living life as “normal as possible”.
During the pair’s cordial chat, Matthew told Charles “it is nice to see you are recovering well”, to which the King replied, “I am not too bad, thank you very much”.
Charles told him that “half the problem is detecting it in time” and praised how medics are getting “better at dealing” with cancer, adding: “There’s always hope down the road.”
Mr Shinda then said he would like a drink, and asking what his tipple of choice was, his daughter, Philippa Matthew, 52, said he “loves his malts”.
After asking the 73-year-old if the hospital staff allow him to have a “tiny dram of whisky occasionally”, the King said: “I knew I should have brought one, it is supposed to be good for the heart.”
After the visit, Mr Shinda said, “I was elated [to meet the King]. He showed concern.”
Earlier, the King met Jacqueline Page, 85, from Great Barr, where the pair made light of their health.
Ms Page, who met the King when he came to Birmingham in 1978 when he was the Prince of Wales, joked that she was “wearing out”. The King responded: “I know, this is the terrible thing, as I am discovering already. The bits don’t work so well when you get past 70.”
After his visit to the ward, the King met the first baby born at the hospital since it opened on October 6 last year and her parents, Semhar Tesfu and Yonas Kflu, from Perry Barr. Hernata Yonas arrived at 8.48am, just 90 minutes after the maternity ward opened its doors for the first time.
Before unveiling a plaque to mark the visit, the King greeted hundreds of patients, staff, medical students and volunteers, who cheered, clapped and took selfies as he stopped to shake their hands and speak to them.
The hospital visit was the King’s second engagement of the day in the West Midlands, as he earlier toured the Oratory of St Philip Neri in Birmingham following the canonisation of Cardinal John Henry Newman.
The King viewed historic items in the library and the cardinal’s personal effects in his room, which has remained untouched since his death in 1890.
