Charles reveals greetings have ‘reduced him to tears’ over cancer diagnosis messages
The royals’ love of greeting cards continues as King Charles has been caught on camera telling the prime minister how much he appreciates the many received following his cancer diagnosis – and the messages have reduced him to tears.
The first face-to-face meeting between His Royal Highness and pm Rishi Sunak since the monarch’s health woes were disclosed happened at Buckingham Palace’s Audience Room on Tuesday evening, 20 February, with the pm telling the king “It’s wonderful to see you looking so well,” and Charles joked: “It’s all done by mirrors!”
In response to Rishi’s assurance that “the country is behind you” the king said: “I’ve had so many wonderful messages and cards, which reduces me to tears most of the time,” and can be seen in a BBC news video here.
The unspecified form of cancer was discovered in late January when King Charles was treated for an enlarged prostate, and his recovery has meant the postponement of the traditional weekly meetings with the prime minister.
Following the cancer news announced by Buckingham Palace, the pm reassured the public by stating the monarch’s disease had been “caught early”.
The king is spending much of his time at Sandringham, his Norfolk retreat, and is now well enough to resume a small number of face-to-face meetings as well as carrying out his duties remotely, including attending to his red boxes of state containing his documents of state.
In a letter released on 10 February, a week after the cancer news broke, King Charles said: “I would like to express my most heartfelt thanks for the many messages of support and good wishes I have received in recent days,” and he expanded on that with yesterday’s reference to the greeting cards received and their effect.
Rishi also mentioned the spotlight the diagnosis has shone on the fantastic work charities do in this area, with Charles replying: “I hear that there’s been a lot more attention and interest on those many wonderful cancer charities, many of which I’ve been patron of for years.”
