Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla leave The London Clinic in central London, Monday, Jan. 29, 2024. King Charles III was in hospital to receive treatment for an enlarged prostate. King Charles III has been diagnosed with a form of cancer and has begun treatment, Buckingham Palace says on Monday, Feb. 5, 2024. THE CANADAIN PRESS-AP/Alberto Pezzali
OTTAWA – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau joined a chorus of well-wishers from Canada and around the world on Monday in wishing King Charles a speedy recovery after Buckingham Palace revealed the monarch has been diagnosed with cancer.
Trudeau said that after hearing the news, he’s thinking about the King, as are countless others.
“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,” Trudeau said on social media.
“We’re sending him our very best wishes – and hoping for a fast and full recovery.”
Gov. Gen. Mary Simon said she like all Canadians is sending good wishes to the King as he begins treatment. In a statement, Simon praised the monarch for leading by example in choosing to share his diagnosis.
“Seeing His Majesty acknowledge cancer so openly and publicly will hopefully encourage and motivate those who are struggling with their own treatment,” she wrote. “We admire the King’s strength and determination as he confronts this disease.”
The palace did not release additional details, except to say the cancer is not related to the King’s recent treatment for a benign prostate condition.
King Charles has begun cancer treatment and will postpone some of his public-facing duties, the palace noted, although it said he will continue to handle routine paperwork and matters of state.
News of the diagnosis comes as his daughter-in-law Kate, Princess of Wales, recovers from abdominal surgery for which she was hospitalized for about two weeks.
The palace says the King is being treated as an outpatient.
In a post on social media, Ralph Goodale, Canada’s high commissioner to the United Kingdom, described the news as “troubling” and wished the King a “speedy and complete recovery.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 5, 2024.
