King Charles ‘reduced to tears’ by messages of goodwill

King Charles has spoken publicly for the first time about his condition, saying that messages of goodwill had ‘reduced me to tears’.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak with King Charles at Buckingham Palace. Picture: Getty Images

King Charles has spoken publicly for the first time about his condition, saying that cards and messages of goodwill had “reduced me to tears”.

It came as Charles held his first audience with the British Prime Minister since his cancer diagnosis was revealed. Rishi Sunak said: “It’s wonderful to see you looking so well,” to which the King joked in reply: “It’s all done by mirrors.”

Mr Sunak replied: “Well, we’re all behind you, the country’s behind you.”

The King responded: “You are kind. I’ve had so many wonderful messages and cards and it reduces me to tears most of the time.”

Mr Sunak told him that it had been “nice to see the spotlight that it’s shone on the work the charities do”.

The King replied: “I hear there has been a lot more attention and interest on those main, wonderful cancer charities, many of which I’ve been patron of for years.”

The Prime Minister was introduced in the private audience room at Buckingham Palace by the King’s new equerry, Lieutenant Commander Will Thornton of the Fleet Air Arm, after his senior equerry, Lieutenant Colonel Johnny Thompson, was given a non-public facing role.

Mr Sunak spent about 45 minutes with the King, who flew from Sandringham to Windsor Castle on Tuesday (Wednesday AEDT) to attend to matters on the estate.

He spent the night in Windsor before returning to London on Thursday. He is expected to move on elsewhere for the weekend.

As his car left after his meeting with Mr Sunak to take him from Buckingham Palace to Clarence House, a crowd waiting outside cheered.

Before meeting Mr Sunak at 5.45pm, the King held an in-person privy council meeting with members including Penny Mordaunt, the Lord President of the council, James Cleverly, the Home Secretary, Alister Jack, Secretary of State for Scotland, and Gillian Keegan, the Education Secretary. The King also hosted tea for members of his staff.

The council had been due to meet earlier in the year but it was postponed due to Charles’s illness.

The last audience Mr Sunak had with the King was on December 13. The meetings traditionally take place weekly and are not typically scheduled over Christmas, when the late queen would remain in Sandringham.

Since Christmas, Charles has sought treatment for an enlarged prostate, which alerted doctors to a separate condition. Earlier this month, Buckingham Palace revealed he had been diagnosed with a form of cancer. While the type was not revealed it was confirmed that it was not prostate cancer.

Mr Sunak was alerted to the King’s condition before it was made public and the pair had a phone call the following day.

Buckingham Palace aides have confirmed that the King continues to carry out his constitutional duties by attending to his red boxes of government documents. He has postponed all public-facing duties in order to reduce any further health risks while continuing his treatment.

The King has made it clear that he hopes to carry on with his audiences with the Prime Minister as long as possible, although they may be carried out remotely if the advice from his doctors changes.

The Times