After receiving a cancer diagnosis, King Charles III declared on Monday that he will carry on serving “to the best of my ability” and added that he had been “deeply touched” by the well-wishes for his health.
After his mother Elizabeth II passed away in September 2022, the 75-year-old monarch who had been king since September 2022—was hospitalized in January for surgery to treat a benign prostate issue. However, the procedure revealed that the cancer was unrelated.
While undergoing treatment, he has put off any public appearances; however, he is still working behind the scenes and attending occasional in-person meetings.
“In recent weeks, I have been most deeply touched by your wonderfully kind and thoughtful good wishes for my health,” he said in a pre-recorded speech to mark the 75th anniversary of the Commonwealth.
“In return, can only continue to serve you, to the best of my ability, throughout the Commonwealth.”
In his absence, Prince William, 41, and his wife Queen Camilla, 76, have assumed the majority of the royal family’s responsibilities.
Princess Kate, 42, the spouse of William, has similarly avoided the spotlight since having stomach surgery in January.
During his speech, Charles commended the Commonwealth’s diversity and urged its members to cooperate in order to address the global economic and climate change issues.
“Whilst we may not all have a shared history, we have common ambitions for a better future — working together to build resilience and respond to global challenges,” the monarch said in a speech recorded at Windsor Castle in February.
“Our diversity means that these challenges affect us all differently and that we experience their impacts in different ways,” he said.
One-third of the world’s population lives in the Commonwealth, which was founded in 1949. The bulk of its 56 member states are former British colonies in Asia, the Americas, and Africa.
