December 13, 2025 • 8 mins
King Charles the Third delivers his most hopeful health update since announcing his cancer diagnosis in early 2024, revealing in a prerecorded video message that his doctors will reduce the intensity of his treatment schedule in the new year. The Palace stresses he did not say he is cancer-free and did not disclose the type of cancer, describing the next stage as a “precautionary phase” after what it calls an “exceptionally” strong response to treatment. Our royal insider Deep Crown reads the Palace language as deliberate, balancing public reassurance with constitutional stability, while The Telegraph’s Hannah Furness writes that the King’s illness has made the monarchy feel more human than ever. The Daily Mail’s Rebecca English adds a vivid behind-the-scenes moment from early in the diagnosis, including Charles’s famously dry reaction to the news. After the break, House Democrats release a new batch of photographs from Jeffrey Epstein’s estate, reviving scrutiny of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, with Tom Sykes arguing the scandal keeps mutating and that allowing a York family christening in the Chapel Royal sent the wrong message about Andrew’s place in royal ceremonial life.
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Hear our new show "Crown and Controversy: Prince Andrew" here.
Check out "Palace Intrigue Presents: King WIlliam" here.
👑 Follow our hit series Crown and Controversy! Season 1 and 2 are fully available now for everyone. Season 3 has new episodes every Sunday on the regular feed. GET THE FULL SEASON 3 BEFORE REGULAR LISTENERS as a subscriber! Hit that "UNINTERRUPTED LISTENING" Banner on the top of the Apple player. AND listen to Crown and Controversy "NORWAY'S ROYAL REBELS" here and get the full season as a premium subscriber now.
👑 The Palace Intrigue Social Hub is Live! Join the conversation on Facebook and Instagram or click the links to start your royal journey!
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
Calorogus Shark Media Hellong, Welcome through Pallace intrigue game your
host Mark Francis. King Charles the Third has shared what
he described as good news about his cancer treatment, revealing
that his doctors plan to reduce the intensity of his
treatment schedule in the new year. The update came in
(00:24):
a pre recorded video message broadcast as part of cancer
awareness program, marking the most hopeful public signal about his
health since he announced his diagnosis in early twenty twenty four.
In the message, the King said, today I am able
to share with you the good news that, thanks to
early diagnosis, effective intervention and doctor's orders, my own schedule
(00:45):
of cancer treatment can be reduced in the new year.
He added that the moment was both a personal blessing
and a testimony to the remarkable advances that have been
made in cancer care in recent years. The Palace stressed
that the King did not say he was cancer free,
nor did he specify the type of cancer or suggest
that treatment was ending entirely. Buckingham Palace said he had
(01:08):
responded exceptionally well to treatment and that his care was
now moving into a precautionary phase where a significantly reduced schedule.
The King has taken great comfort and encouragement from being
able to continue leading a full, in active life throughout
his treatment, while always heeding the advice of his medical teen.
His ability to uphold all of his state duties and
(01:29):
to continue with public engagements and overseas tours has helped
greatly with the positive mindset that, as many families will know,
is such a vital part of the recovery journey. The
message was also used to underline the importance of cancer screening.
The King noted that many people delay screening out of
fear or embarrassment, saying if and when they finally do
(01:49):
take up their invitation, they are glad they took part.
He highlighted the impact of early detection, adding when bowel
cancer is caught at its earliest stage, around nine to
ten people survive it for at least five years. When
diagnosed late, that falls to just one in ten. Charles
has chosen a careful balance between privacy and disclosure since
(02:10):
making his diagnosis public, explaining at the time that he
did so to prevent speculation and in the hope it
may assist public understanding for all those around the world
who are affected by cancer. Since then, details of his
condition and treatment have remained limited. Despite his illness, the
King has maintained a demanding schedule of public duties and
high profile meetings at home and abroad, a piece that
(02:33):
has been widely interpreted as either a sign of recovery
or a monarch determined to carry on regardless. Even so,
comments from within the family have occasionally fueled concern, with
Prince Harry recently saying I don't know how much longer
my father has and another report suggesting Charles wanted to
make the most of this Christmas in case it were
his last. Our Royal inside at Deep Crown tells us
(02:55):
reduced treatment schedule is not cancer free, and those of
us who have watched this institution navigate crisis after crisis
recognize the deliberate choice of language. The King is doing
what he has always done, balancing the public's genuine concern
for their sovereign with the constitutional necessity of protecting stability.
A monarchy cannot appear vulnerable, yet a modern monarch cannot
(03:17):
appear dishonest. It is a type rope walked with considerable grace.
What remains unspoken, of course, is precisely what type of
cancer we are discussing and what precautionary phase actually entails.
The Palace's discretion in this regard is both understandable and
I would argue appropriate. Hama Fernz writes in the Telegraph.
(03:37):
In a few short years, the monarch, sovereign, head of state,
head of commonwealth and defender of faith has gone from
untouchable quasi deity in the public imagination to almost one
of us. It has not always or even often been
as easy as he has made it look. His diary,
busy at the best of times, has been squeezed around
his weekly treatment. He has sometimes seemed tired, pale, with
(03:59):
chapter hadns or lips as a result of treatment. In
the Daily Mail or Rebecca English tells the story of
Charles learning he had cancer. She writes in February last year,
shortly after the King was told he had cancer, he
sat down with senior aids to share the troubling news. Understandably,
they were shocked. Oh that's a right bugger, one burst
out before, inwardly panicking fearing this might have caused offense. Instead,
(04:23):
his Majesty's lips twitched before he broke into laughter. Yes,
it is a bit of a bugger, isn't it. He
chuckled English quotes a well Place's source as saying, I
think when he first received his diagnosis and wasn't clear
which way this was going to go, it made him
more determined than ever to keep going as fast as possible,
because there was so much more he wanted to achieve.
(04:44):
He was only persuaded to take a few weeks away
from frontline duties because his doctors convinced him of the
danger of contracting his secondary infection in those perilous early days.
Even now that he realizes it isn't going to be
a race against time, he still wants to change the world.
A friend of Charles said, anyone receiving a cancer diagnosis
is fraud by it, and his majesty was no different.
(05:06):
But even in that bleakest of moments, he dealt with
it in a very human way. His instinctive reaction when
he was asked how he wanted to handle the news
publicly was to be as honest with his people as
he possibly could. More Ballance in just a moment. In
other news, Andrew Mountbatten Winsor's links to the late financier
(05:28):
Jeffrey Epstein resurfaced once again after House Democrats in the
US released a new batch of photographs taken from Epstein's estate.
In announcing the release on ex Democrats said these disturbing
images raised even more questions about Epstein and his relationships
with some of the most powerful men in the world.
The photographs were made public amid an ongoing dispute with
(05:48):
the White House over the release of the so called
Epstein Files, a large collection of documents tied to Epstein's
activities and his abuse of young women over many years.
One of the newly released images shows and Andrew standing
alongside Microsoft founder Bill Gates. While Democrats had said as
many as ninety five thousand images could eventually be released,
(06:08):
only nineteen photographs are currently available. In The Royalist, Tom
Sykes writes in a nutshell, the problem is that this
scandal is not going away. It keeps resurfacing, it keeps mutating,
it keeps embarrassing the monarchy, and still the King's household
allowed Andrew and Sarah Ferguson to attend a family christening
in the Chapel Royal. A breathtakingly lavish jewel of Tudor design,
(06:32):
one of the most inaccessible and private spaces in the
royal world. The question is not whether Andrew's daughters deserve
to be punished for his sins. I'm not saying Andrew
shouldn't be invited to his grandchild's christening. I am saying
that Charles was foolish to allow this event to take
place on hallowed Royal ground. There is a difference between
allowing a disgraced family member to attend a private event
(06:53):
and allowing that event to take place on the royal
estate in a royal chapel steeped in royal symbolism. LL
Royal is not a parish church that you can simply
book for the afternoon. It is a highly privileged royal institution.
Letting Andrew and family use it sends a message that
despite everything, the Yorks remain embedded in the ceremonial life
of the monarchy. Royal commentator Meredith Constant told Fox News
(07:17):
Digital Beatrice was in a difficult position. Do you uninvite
your father and give the media even more fodder, or
do you invite him to keep it very low key.
It's also in the interest of princesses Beatrice and Eugenie
to keep their distance from their parents' scandals. King Charles
has made it clear that his nieces are very much
in the royal fold, but who knows if William is
(07:37):
going to extend the same compassion when King. The more
space between the York sisters and their parents, the better.
There you have it. If you'd like to email us
addresses the Palace Intrigue at gmail dot com. Please followus
on Spotify, Apple, Instagram, Facebook, We're all over the place.
Come and say hi and leave us a nice review
for enjoining the show. I'm Mark Francis my thanks to
(07:57):
John McDermot. This is Palace Intrigue and names MHM
Calorogus Shark Media Hellong, Welcome through Pallace intrigue game your
host Mark Francis. King Charles the Third has shared what
he described as good news about his cancer treatment, revealing
that his doctors plan to reduce the intensity of his
treatment schedule in the new year. The update came in
(00:24):
a pre recorded video message broadcast as part of cancer
awareness program, marking the most hopeful public signal about his
health since he announced his diagnosis in early twenty twenty four.
In the message, the King said, today I am able
to share with you the good news that, thanks to
early diagnosis, effective intervention and doctor's orders, my own schedule
(00:45):
of cancer treatment can be reduced in the new year.
He added that the moment was both a personal blessing
and a testimony to the remarkable advances that have been
made in cancer care in recent years. The Palace stressed
that the King did not say he was cancer free,
nor did he specify the type of cancer or suggest
that treatment was ending entirely. Buckingham Palace said he had
(01:08):
responded exceptionally well to treatment and that his care was
now moving into a precautionary phase where a significantly reduced schedule.
The King has taken great comfort and encouragement from being
able to continue leading a full, in active life throughout
his treatment, while always heeding the advice of his medical teen.
His ability to uphold all of his state duties and
(01:29):
to continue with public engagements and overseas tours has helped
greatly with the positive mindset that, as many families will know,
is such a vital part of the recovery journey. The
message was also used to underline the importance of cancer screening.
The King noted that many people delay screening out of
fear or embarrassment, saying if and when they finally do
(01:49):
take up their invitation, they are glad they took part.
He highlighted the impact of early detection, adding when bowel
cancer is caught at its earliest stage, around nine to
ten people survive it for at least five years. When
diagnosed late, that falls to just one in ten. Charles
has chosen a careful balance between privacy and disclosure since
(02:10):
making his diagnosis public, explaining at the time that he
did so to prevent speculation and in the hope it
may assist public understanding for all those around the world
who are affected by cancer. Since then, details of his
condition and treatment have remained limited. Despite his illness, the
King has maintained a demanding schedule of public duties and
high profile meetings at home and abroad, a piece that
(02:33):
has been widely interpreted as either a sign of recovery
or a monarch determined to carry on regardless. Even so,
comments from within the family have occasionally fueled concern, with
Prince Harry recently saying I don't know how much longer
my father has and another report suggesting Charles wanted to
make the most of this Christmas in case it were
his last. Our Royal inside at Deep Crown tells us
(02:55):
reduced treatment schedule is not cancer free, and those of
us who have watched this institution navigate crisis after crisis
recognize the deliberate choice of language. The King is doing
what he has always done, balancing the public's genuine concern
for their sovereign with the constitutional necessity of protecting stability.
A monarchy cannot appear vulnerable, yet a modern monarch cannot
(03:17):
appear dishonest. It is a type rope walked with considerable grace.
What remains unspoken, of course, is precisely what type of
cancer we are discussing and what precautionary phase actually entails.
The Palace's discretion in this regard is both understandable and
I would argue appropriate. Hama Fernz writes in the Telegraph.
(03:37):
In a few short years, the monarch, sovereign, head of state,
head of commonwealth and defender of faith has gone from
untouchable quasi deity in the public imagination to almost one
of us. It has not always or even often been
as easy as he has made it look. His diary,
busy at the best of times, has been squeezed around
his weekly treatment. He has sometimes seemed tired, pale, with
(03:59):
chapter hadns or lips as a result of treatment. In
the Daily Mail or Rebecca English tells the story of
Charles learning he had cancer. She writes in February last year,
shortly after the King was told he had cancer, he
sat down with senior aids to share the troubling news. Understandably,
they were shocked. Oh that's a right bugger, one burst
out before, inwardly panicking fearing this might have caused offense. Instead,
(04:23):
his Majesty's lips twitched before he broke into laughter. Yes,
it is a bit of a bugger, isn't it. He
chuckled English quotes a well Place's source as saying, I
think when he first received his diagnosis and wasn't clear
which way this was going to go, it made him
more determined than ever to keep going as fast as possible,
because there was so much more he wanted to achieve.
(04:44):
He was only persuaded to take a few weeks away
from frontline duties because his doctors convinced him of the
danger of contracting his secondary infection in those perilous early days.
Even now that he realizes it isn't going to be
a race against time, he still wants to change the world.
A friend of Charles said, anyone receiving a cancer diagnosis
is fraud by it, and his majesty was no different.
(05:06):
But even in that bleakest of moments, he dealt with
it in a very human way. His instinctive reaction when
he was asked how he wanted to handle the news
publicly was to be as honest with his people as
he possibly could. More Ballance in just a moment. In
other news, Andrew Mountbatten Winsor's links to the late financier
(05:28):
Jeffrey Epstein resurfaced once again after House Democrats in the
US released a new batch of photographs taken from Epstein's estate.
In announcing the release on ex Democrats said these disturbing
images raised even more questions about Epstein and his relationships
with some of the most powerful men in the world.
The photographs were made public amid an ongoing dispute with
(05:48):
the White House over the release of the so called
Epstein Files, a large collection of documents tied to Epstein's
activities and his abuse of young women over many years.
One of the newly released images shows and Andrew standing
alongside Microsoft founder Bill Gates. While Democrats had said as
many as ninety five thousand images could eventually be released,
(06:08):
only nineteen photographs are currently available. In The Royalist, Tom
Sykes writes in a nutshell, the problem is that this
scandal is not going away. It keeps resurfacing, it keeps mutating,
it keeps embarrassing the monarchy, and still the King's household
allowed Andrew and Sarah Ferguson to attend a family christening
in the Chapel Royal. A breathtakingly lavish jewel of Tudor design,
(06:32):
one of the most inaccessible and private spaces in the
royal world. The question is not whether Andrew's daughters deserve
to be punished for his sins. I'm not saying Andrew
shouldn't be invited to his grandchild's christening. I am saying
that Charles was foolish to allow this event to take
place on hallowed Royal ground. There is a difference between
allowing a disgraced family member to attend a private event
(06:53):
and allowing that event to take place on the royal
estate in a royal chapel steeped in royal symbolism. LL
Royal is not a parish church that you can simply
book for the afternoon. It is a highly privileged royal institution.
Letting Andrew and family use it sends a message that
despite everything, the Yorks remain embedded in the ceremonial life
of the monarchy. Royal commentator Meredith Constant told Fox News
(07:17):
Digital Beatrice was in a difficult position. Do you uninvite
your father and give the media even more fodder, or
do you invite him to keep it very low key.
It's also in the interest of princesses Beatrice and Eugenie
to keep their distance from their parents' scandals. King Charles
has made it clear that his nieces are very much
in the royal fold, but who knows if William is
(07:37):
going to extend the same compassion when King. The more
space between the York sisters and their parents, the better.
There you have it. If you'd like to email us
addresses the Palace Intrigue at gmail dot com. Please followus
on Spotify, Apple, Instagram, Facebook, We're all over the place.
Come and say hi and leave us a nice review
for enjoining the show. I'm Mark Francis my thanks to
(07:57):
John McDermot. This is Palace Intrigue and names MHM
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