Prince Harry arrived in London on Tuesday to visit his father King Charles, less than 24 hours after it was announced that the monarch had cancer.
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According to British media, the prince, who had traveled from California and had been on bad terms with the royal family for months, landed at Heathrow. The Telegraph said he would immediately visit his father at his London residence at Clarence House.
After 17 months on the throne, Charles III, who received his first treatment on Monday, will remain away from public life indefinitely.
Following the announcement, wishes for recovery poured in from around the world, causing excitement in the UK. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak sought reassurance about the king's health, telling the BBC that the 75-year-old monarch's cancer was “detected early.”
“I am of course in regular contact with (the king) and will continue to communicate with him as usual,” added the Conservative leader, who speaks with the king every week.
Which “form of cancer” Charles III suffered from? suffered was not explained in more detail. We know that the disease was discovered at the end of January during an operation for benign prostate enlargement, but it is not prostate cancer.
“Very optimistic”
According to British media, after his first treatment, the king spent the night at his home in Clarence House.
The sovereign assured that he was “very optimistic” about his treatment, adding that he would continue to carry out “state affairs and administrative duties” related to his role as head of state of 15 countries, including the United Kingdom.
But while he was already resting due to his prostate surgery, his absence from public life is likely to last longer than expected, pushing out of the limelight a king who waited 70 years to take the throne and has been particularly active since then, multiplying visits and trips abroad.
“We are shocked because the king started off really strong, he went to France, to Germany, and we hoped it would stay that way for a long time,” Sue Hazell told AFP as she visited the north of England with her husband before the Buckingham Palace.
Gill Armstrong, 71, hopes for a speedy recovery: “He's done a good job since he's been king, he'll be hard to replace.”
The disease plunges the monarchy into renewed uncertainty a year and a half after the significant shock of the death of Elizabeth II at the age of 96 and after more than 70 years of reign.
Reconciliation?
Especially since one of the royal family's most popular figures, Princess Kate, wife of Prince William, is in a long recovery after a mysterious abdominal surgery in January that left her in the hospital for almost two weeks. She has not appeared since Christmas and is not expected to return until Easter at the end of March.
It is therefore primarily the responsibility of Queen Camilla, 76 years old, and William, 41 year old Crown Prince, to represent the monarchy.
Shortly before the announcement of the royal's cancer, the prince announced that he was resuming his public activities and would be suspended for several weeks to stay with Kate and their three children.
Prince Harry's arrival in London has sparked new hopes for a reconciliation between the Duke of Sussex, who left the country in 2020, and the rest of the family, particularly his brother.
According to British media, as at the coronation last May, he was supposed to come to London alone, without his wife Meghan and their two children Archie and Lilibet.
As with his surgery for a benign prostate problem, Charles III chose not to hide his illness, in contrast to the secrecy that surrounded the health of previous rulers. However, the palace remained full of details.
As it stands, an abdication seems unlikely since Charles III. as his mother had promised “a life of service.”