King Charles III has a “form of cancer”, it has been confirmed – but the monarch has not revealed which area is affected – nor how severe it is.
Buckingham Palace announced at 6pm today (February 5) that, following “diagnostic tests” the cancer was discovered. The monarch has recently been at The London Clinic in Marylebone to undergo corrective treatment for an enlarged prostate.
His transparency with the battle he is facing shows a new era, many have hailed, with the palace adding he has been advised to “postpone public-facing duties”, but he will continue to undertake State business.
Abdication has been ruled out for the time being, as the statement added that the King, 75, fully intends to return to public duties – with only 17 months so far on the throne.
Prince William is heir to the throne, but he too has taken a step back from royal duties to be there for his wife, Princess Kate and their young family. But Queen Camilla is set to step up and carry in support of her husband.
While there is no such indication this is going to happen, abdicating the throne is only possible only via an act of Parliament thanks to the Declaration of Abdication Act 1936.
To complete the act, a reigning King or Queen must make a formal statement declaring they no longer wish to serve as monarch, after which the process is in Parliament’s hands.
Both the House of Commons and House of Lords must pass an Act of Abdication, after which the serving monarch can finally pass the throne to their next in line.
The current next in line to the throne is Prince William, who would take over as King William V should he choose to keep his current name.
The current line of succession is 24 royals long and structured in the following order:
1. The Prince of Wales
2. Prince George of Wales
3. Princess Charlotte of Wales
4. Prince Louis of Wales
5. The Duke of Sussex
6. Prince Archie of Sussex
7. Princess Lilibet of Sussex
8. The Duke of York
9. Princess Beatrice
10. Sienna Mapelli Mozzi
11. Princess Eugenie
12. August Brooksbank
13. Ernest Brooksbank
14. The Duke of Edinburgh
15. Earl of Wessex
16. The Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor
17. The Princess Royal
18. Peter Phillips
19. Savannah Phillips
20. Isla Phillips
21. Michael Tindall
22. Mia Tindall
23. Lena Tindall
24. Lucas Tindall
Abdication likely isn’t in the King’s future, given the Royal Family’s heartbreak after King Edward VIII did so in 1936.
But the King has taken a different approach to health than his mother, who was Queen Elizabeth II to her last breath in September 2022. Under his guidance, the Royal Family has become much more candid about health struggles.
Buckingham and Kensington Palaces announced procedures for King Charles and Kate, the Princess of Wales, on the same day in January, while the Queen’s admittal to hospital for “preliminary investigations” in 2021 was first reported via a palace source.
Whether he has a different opinion about abdication remains to be seen, as, for the time being, he “looks forward to returning to full public duty”.
