Today it was announced that, after a very positive response to his treatment for cancer, King Charles will resume public-facing duties next week. The statement went on to say that both he and the Queen will be making a joint visit to a cancer treatment centre next Tuesday, in a conscious nod to the help that he has been receiving over the most recent months in his illness. He will also be hosting the Emperor and Empress of Japan for a state visit in June, all being well. It concluded that ‘as the first anniversary of the coronation approaches, Their Majesties remain deeply grateful for the many kindnesses and good wishes they have received from around the world throughout the joys and challenges of the past year.’
It is hard not to breathe a patriotic sigh of relief
It is hard not to breathe a patriotic sigh of relief. Heavily embargoed announcements from Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace have, of late, conveyed bad rather than good tidings, so the news is enormously welcome. It will also will do a great deal to calm nerves both in the country and, closer to home, in royal circles. Ever since the King announced that he was suffering from cancer earlier this year, there has been an outpouring of sympathy and compassion towards him from all quarters, even from ardent republicans. There have, of course, been rumours about the severity of his condition, but the news that the King will be returning to active service is both welcome and, if truth be told, slightly unexpected. But the good tidings must now outweigh unwelcome speculation.
While the news of his daughter-in-law’s illness was bedevilled by uncertain and at times unwise messaging that eventually had to be resolved with one of the saddest public statements any member of the royal family has ever had to put out, Buckingham Palace has handled all the details of his condition with commendable candour and straightforwardness. The King’s brief public appearance on Easter Sunday, and the immense goodwill with which that was received, was testament to the success of this particular media strategy.
This has been an annus horribilis, like the royal family has seldom known in modern times, both because of incidents unforeseeable – such as two of its major players suffering from cancer at the same time – and avoidable. The unwelcome prominence of the Duke of York, and subsequent embarrassment of the Scoop film reminded everyone how dire the Newsnight debacle was, not just for Prince Andrew but for those around him. And Prince Harry’s attention-seeking antics, especially the innumerable court cases that he has embroiled himself in, alternate between the amusing and the tedious. Nonetheless, he should at least be given credit for dropping everything and returning to Britain to see his father when news of his illness first broke. For all his ostentatious remarks about distancing himself from his family, this particular kind of blue blood remains thicker than water at times of true crisis.
There are still, of course, many causes for caution. There are few updates on the Princess of Wales’s health – even if her husband seemed relaxed while he was swapping jokes with schoolchildren in a public appearance yesterday – and this remains something that the country will remain worried about. But the good news about the King is the first cause for relief in a long time, and we can only hope that there will be more encouraging developments soon.
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