King Charles is undergoing treatment for cancer and his son William is expected to step up along with other family members to help carry out public duties during his absence.
New Delhi: PM Narendra Modi on Tuesday wished speedy recovery and good health to UK’s King Charles III following news of his cancer diagnosis a special report iin The Tribune Chandigarh, says.
King Charles is undergoing treatment for cancer and his son William is expected to step up along with other family members to help carry out public duties during his absence.
“I join the people of India in wishing speedy recovery and good health to His Majesty King Charles III,” PM Modi wrote on ‘X’.
Buckingham Palace said in a statement on Monday that King Charles III had been diagnosed with a form of cancer.
The King has been advised by his doctors to postpone public-facing duties. He has already begun the schedule of regular treatments after the diagnosis.
However, he will continue to handle official documentation and state business as usual throughout this time. The King underwent treatment for an enlarged prostate last week.
King Charles recently spent three nights in hospital to undergo treatment for an enlarged prostate. It is understood that this separate issue was discovered during that procedure.
In Monday’s announcement, palace officials did not specify which type of cancer the king has or how serious his condition is. A Royal source told Reuters that it was not prostate cancer.
The palace said only that the king has commenced a schedule of regular treatments, “during which time [he] has been advised by doctors to postpone public-facing duties”.
Buckingham Palace also said the king had decided to be open about having been diagnosed with cancer to “prevent speculation and in the hope it may assist public understanding for all those around the world who are affected by cancer”.
The king’s cancer revelation comes as Catherine, Princess of Wales and wife to the heir to the throne, William, also recuperates at home after spending two weeks in hospital after planned abdominal surgery for an unspecified but non-cancerous condition.
What happens if King Charles cannot continue with his duties?
For now, this is not an issue. There are, however, constitutional mechanisms in place that kick in if Charles reaches a point where he cannot carry out his duties as king.
Two counsellors of state can be appointed to act on the king’s behalf through a Letter Patent, a form of grant by the British sovereign.
The counsellors of state would be authorised to carry out most of the official duties of the king, including attending Privy Council meetings, signing routine documents and receiving new ambassadors.
Who will have to stand in for Charles at royal engagements?
According to Richard Fitzwilliams, a commentator on the royal family, a large share of the responsibility for Charles’s public-facing duties will fall to the prince of Wales and Queen Camilla.
However, the king will continue carrying out his constitutional duties, including state business and official paperwork.
William, 41, prince of Wales and the heir to the throne, postponed his own engagements to help look after the couple’s three children after his wife, Catherine’s surgery.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak sent a message wishing the king “a full and a speedy recovery”.
“I have no doubt he’ll be back to full strength in no time and I know the whole country will be wishing him well,” Sunak said.
President Joe Biden joined Sunak and wished King Charles a swift recovery.
“Navigating a cancer diagnosis, treatment and survivorship takes hope and absolute courage. Jill and I join the people of the United Kingdom in praying that His Majesty experiences a swift and full recovery,” Biden said.
Separately, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also sent his best wishes.
“I, like Canadians across the country and people around the world, am thinking of His Majesty King Charles III as he undergoes treatment for cancer. We’re sending him our very best wishes – and hoping for a fast and full recovery,” Trudeau said.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan also sent his sympathies.
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