King Charles III shared insight into his cancer journey while speaking with other cancer patients in England.
The British monarch visited Midland Metropolitan University Hospital on Wednesday (September 3) to meet with staff and patients, and during his time there, he shared a rare health update about his own experience navigating cancer treatment and recovery, per Hello! Magazine. Buckingham Palace announced in February 2024 that Charles had been diagnosed with cancer, though the specific kind was not revealed.
While speaking with Jacqueline Page, an 85-year-old patient in one of the hospital's acute elderly care wards, Charles, 76, made a joke about getting older after Page said she was "wearing out."
"I know, this is the terrible thing, as I am discovering already," he said, quipping, "The bits don't work so well when you get past 70.
Matthew Shinda, a 73-year-old patient battling prostate cancer, was "elated" to speak with the monarch and how he "showed concern" when commiserating about their diagnoses. While Charles noted he's "not too bad" amid his recovery, he spoke about how "half the problem is detecting" the disease in time.
"The great thing I think is they're getting better and better at dealing with these things," Charles said. "The trouble is there's always hope down the road. I am sorry about that, it's so frustrating."
Page Six reports that the monarch's comments are his first since telling a cancer survivor that he is "doing a lot better now" in July. Additionally, he shared some helpful advice about treatment while speaking to another cancer patient in May.