Daily Beast: King Charles’s friends privately admit that his condition is ‘not good’

King Charles and his Buckingham Palace team are currently projecting calm and steadiness, in my opinion. As the months roll by, it would have been nice for the palace to disclose more about Charles’s cancer, treatment and estimated timeline for recovery. That being said, the palace is doing regular schedule updates and they haven’t been caught out in any big lies, unlike Kensington Palace’s team. That hasn’t stopped the speculation about Charles’s health and whether or not his condition is a lot worse than the palace is letting on. My theory is that people actually feel more comfortable speculating about Charles’s health than the Princess of Wales’s situation, and that there’s a significant amount of projection/obfuscation happening. But I digress. Tom Sykes at the Daily Beast wrote a lengthy piece about how Charles’s funeral plans are still being updated and how there’s a lot of chatter that the palace is lying about Charles’s actual condition these days.

It’s the question everyone in British society and in the corridors of power is thinking, but nobody will publicly ask, let alone answer: Just how sick is King Charles III? The chatter that King Charles is significantly more unwell than his aides are letting on is proliferating in British society. Speaking to friends of the king in recent weeks about his health, the most common response is a lowering of the voice by half an octave or so, followed by the sombre, drawn-out pronouncement: “It’s not good.”

The Daily Beast has been told, for example, that not only are Charles’ funeral plans being regularly updated but that a document reviewing what went well after the queen’s funeral, and what could be done better next time a monarch dies—a kind of “lessons learned” crossed with a scorecard, the most esoteric of business reviews—is circulating in Whitehall. The government department responsible for state funerals, the Cabinet Office, declined to comment on claims that the Operation Menai Bridge (as Charles’ funeral plan is codenamed) document is being regularly updated, but again emphasized that making no comment on such plans was routine.

Friends of the family and insiders are genuinely distraught at the prospect that the U.K. could lose its king far sooner than any had imagined, but they are trying to stay positive. One old friend of the family, for example, told The Daily Beast, “Of course he is determined to beat it and they are throwing everything at it. Everyone is staying optimistic, but he is really very unwell. More than they are letting on.”

Compounding the sense of gloom, multiple sources have told The Daily Beast that officials are now regularly reviewing copies of the several-hundred-page “Menai Bridge” document. All royal family members have bridge-based codewords to be used at their death—Queen Elizabeth’s death plan was famously “Operation London Bridge.” Menai Bridge is a dramatic suspension bridge that connects the island of Anglesey with the Welsh mainland.

While the sources all emphasized that the notes are routinely reviewed by the palace and the military, one source, a former staffer who retains active links with serving courtiers, said: “The plans have been dusted off and are actively being kept up to date. It’s no more than what you would expect given the king has been diagnosed with cancer. But the circulation of them has certainly focused minds.”

Another source, who knows a senior official involved in the planning of royal funerals, said: “Of course they are looking at every aspect of Menai Bridge. The queen’s funeral went like clockwork and set a high bar. It’s not an emotional thing, it’s a job, one taken very seriously, and understandably no-one plans to get caught out.”

Overall, however, the British press have observed what seems like a remarkable silence on the matter of Charles’ health and funeral planning. This is not, as one journalist told The Daily Beast, just out of respect for or collusion with the palace, but rather due to very strict rules and laws in the U.K. governing medical privacy and the publishing of personal information. “Even if you had it copper-bottomed that he had bladder cancer, you couldn’t run it,” the journalist said.

[From The Daily Beast]

Don’t mind me, I’m just sitting here in awe of how Sykes wrote that last part of the excerpt. That’s exactly what a British journalist would do if they had good sourcing that Charles has bladder cancer – they wouldn’t be allowed to print it in a British outlet, but they could introduce it as a barely-hidden hypothetical to an American publication like the Daily Beast. This is as close as we’re going to get (for the time being) for a confirmation about Charles’s diagnosis. As for the rest of the story… Sykes does have sources in BP and KP, and if his sources are concerned, that IS something notable. It’s hard to reconcile these “gloomy” quotes with what the palace is actually projecting and briefing, that Charles will be up and around in June and that his treatment is going well.

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105 Responses to “Daily Beast: King Charles’s friends privately admit that his condition is ‘not good’”

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  1. Smart&Messy says:

    I don’t know about the prognosis for bladder cancer, but him being in worse condition than they let on could be one reason behind WFH Prince folding completely.

    • Jan90067 says:

      My friend’s father died of bladder cancer. About 2 1/2 yrs from diagnosis to passing.

    • Agnes says:

      It’s an awful cancer. Year from diagnosis to death with one person I know, and had to have bladder removed and tubes everywhere.

      • JEB says:

        My father had bladder cancer, it was awful and swift. Had his bladder removed and exactly one year later the cancer came back, spreading quickly. Came back in October and he was gone by the end of May. He did radiation and 2 rounds of chemo but the cancer was relentless, spreading quickly, to his brain at the end. He had been a long time smoker and his doctors told him that is what gave him bladder cancer-very specific to male, 55+ yrs who smoked/smokers. Charles didn’t smoke, correct?

    • lucy2 says:

      Strangely enough I know like half a dozen people who have had bladder cancer, including my dad. All are doing well, only one of the group had to have the bladder removal surgery, but she’s still doing OK years later too. What I remember from my dad’s diagnosis was that if caught fairly early, it’s very treatable, but has a high rate of recurrence, so sometimes it’s several rounds of treatments. My dad thankfully has been cancer free for many years now, and gets a full scan regularly. He was lucky, I know others don’t catch it until further along. Blood in urine is usually the first sign, get checked out if you notice that.

      • Ashley says:

        I was coming here to say the same. My uncle had it and while part of the treatment was very uncomfortable, it was also very effective and he considers himself fully recovered. He’s about the same age as Charles.

      • Agnes says:

        I’m glad they are all doing better. Smoking probably hastened the one I knew’s demise.

      • Piece says:

        I had a relative who had bladder cancer some years ago. But still recently enough that she was able to undergo targeted immunotherapy. She was sick for a time and unable to leave the house much because her immune system was decimated. But the cancer was localized and eradicated, her immunity came back, and she’s now in remission. Immunotherapy is the cutting edge treatment and quite effective. You know whatever Charles is getting, it’s the best.

    • Underhill says:

      It is now a fairly survivable cancer. Unless its spread beyond the bladder (which it doesn’t do as readily as some other cancers do) then localized chemo works. Even if that won’t work a colectomy can be done (a removal of the bladder, with use of an external appliance). There are different kinds of bladder cancer: I knew once a couple who had their own dry cleaner shop. When they both got really old, they seperately got a sort of bladder cancer that killed them fast. Smokers get another kind. My FIL had bladder cancer, was treated with topical chemo,which held it in check and he died of his COPD. Charles was famously an antismoker….I don’t believe, if he is really sick, that it is bladder cancer.

      • JosephineSkiier says:

        A colectomy is the removal of one’s colon. A cystectomy is the removal of one’s bladder.

      • KeKe Swan says:

        I’m sorry for those who have lost loved ones to this disease. My dad’s experience was quite different because the docs caught his early. After surgery determined the bladder wall was not deeply infiltrated, he was given a miracle treatment that allowed him to bypass chemo and radiation. What was it? Tuberculosis. TB bacillus was introduced to bladder in a weak solution, provoking an immune response that killed the TB and also any remaining cancer cells.

      • KeKe Swan says:

        My dad never smoked. Though as a jazz musician he was exposed to a lot of second hand smoke. Maybe that had something to do with it…?

    • bananapanda says:

      The treatment for bladder cancer is chemo and radiation. While chemo has gotten a little more manageable, (anti nausea drugs, energy IVs) the radiation saps your energy entirely. He’s probably in middle or late stages of this and at his lowest physically.

      • Underhill says:

        If it hasn’t spread they use intra bladder chemo: they inject chemo into the bladder, it’s retained for a period of time. If the cancer spreads then it’s systemic chemo and radiation to the site if applicable

  2. aquarius64 says:

    The fear and loathing is the reign of William V is approaching and they see the heir is not ready for prime time.

    • Chloe says:

      I wonder if williams lack of appearances has more to do with Charles than with Kate?

      • Conch Call says:

        Yes @Chloe, that’s what my friends on Fleet Street are saying. It’s not Kate, it’s KC III where the smoke screen is and that’s why these two are so panicked. He’s much worse than they’re letting on. Also Tina Brown (Daily Beast founder) and Tom Sykes have contacts up their wazoo, so they usually have toff Intel most accurately
        They’re not worrying too much about Kate because they don’t have any direction reason to worry about, so I disagree with Kaiser here (based on the intel I’ve heard)

      • Conch Call says:

        *meant to say no DIRE reason to worry about (not direct sorry typo)

      • Lucky Charm says:

        @ Conch Call, if Kate is fine, then why has KP been so ridiculous with all the Kate faux photo/video/info?

      • Conch Call says:

        @lucky charms – the secrecy was down to W panicking and then being stubborn about them not ‘bending’ to anyone’s will. Lost their shit basically. The reporting has been correct although the real message – like in this Sykes article- has always been sotto voce. It was her decision to make that video with some “help”- not his. she does have significant health concerns, just not dire ones. She’ll only appear once recovered. It was not just one disease.

  3. Nubia says:

    It’s only because we live in a modern age, William as a King would have been an absolute beheading tyrant. It will be interesting to watch his reign.

  4. The Hench says:

    I agree that the last line could well be the truth hiding there in plain sight!

    Two things can be true here – the reviewing of the funeral plans doesn’t mean that Charles has been diagnosed with a terminal cancer. However, I can also fully believe that he has been diagnosed with a terminal cancer. It would be entirely in keeping with the way the Royal Family have previously handled bad health news to not give the full picture/play down the seriousness.

    My gut says that this article is the truth – Charles is seriously ill and the prognosis is not good. If this isn’t what Sykes has had relayed to him by insiders and friends then I can’t see why he would say that it was. There will be a lot of people who know the truth and he’d look like an idiot if the reality was that Charles is breezing through and expected to make a full recovery. It also runs counter to the propping up of the RF that Sykes usually does.

    • Hypocrisy says:

      My father’s bladder cancer was discovered and diagnosed through prostate issues so that last line really makes me think 🤔 he gave us the diagnosis.

      • Magdalena says:

        Yeah, I read that last line too and thought “so Charles has bladder cancer…”

        Nicely phrased to give the diagnosis away without appearing to do so.

        Well… these same reporters claimed after the fact that the Queen died from bone cancer even though her death certificate unusually said “old age”.

    • Angie says:

      Honestly ppl w cancer may choose to live as fully as possible, and wouldn’t he, even if the prognosis were dire? He lived his whole life for this job.

  5. Hypocrisy says:

    Whatever cancer he has, his treatments have him looking like a vampire (and not the sparkling ✨ ones). I have a feeling the year is only going to get a lot worse for Royalists. Right now the BRF just radiates a very bad doom vibe, they come across as lethargic. It is very noticeable when compared to the sunshine 🌞 health, happiness and energetic vibe coming from California.

    • Looseal says:

      Charles wants a slimmed down monarchy. But with all the old timers working now, soon enough there will be very few who can fill the Royal roles. I don’t believe the York princesses will be called upon nor will the Edinburgh children given royal duties.

      A realistic question is will this result in Britain getting used to not having a Royal to cut ribbons, go on foreign tours representing government and visit schools, factories and health facilities? Is a slimmed down monarchy really a slimmed down royal necessity?

  6. Yes he has been way more transparent with his health than the invisible one. He waited forever to be King and it may be a shorter reign than he imagined.

    • SSF says:

      He also isn’t the mother of young children who would be exposed to speculation from playmates and classmates.

      • Hypocrisy says:

        SSF just my personal opinion but being exposed to the truth would be a lot kinder than what is currently being floated around between the tabloid media and social media. These kids attend school believe me they have heard it.

      • sevenblue says:

        @SSF, well I would say that hiding it did things worse in terms of speculation and conspiracy theories.

      • Harper says:

        Children of Charlotte and George’s ages can absolutely deal with ill and dying parents with respect. Having children is no reason to hide from the world for four months because you were ill.

        Actually, today marks four months from Kate’s last public appearance.

      • TigerMcQueen says:

        If one tells the truth, there is no need for others to speculate. Lack of communication is what leads to speculation, as demonstrated by the events leading up to Kate’s video announcement.

        If she continues to stay unseen and unheard, the speculation will ramp up again.

      • WiththeAmerican says:

        I’ve seen this lone trotted out by Kate defenders but it makes no sense. If they were honest, no one would be speculating.

        For evidence of this, just look at the King. People might quietly ask what kind of cancer he has, but no one is memeing him into an AI joke like they have Kate. The Wales’’ obsession with privacy has been of little help and really has only made everything so much worse.

        She said she no longer had cancer but was getting preventative chemo, and yet has not been seen by the media since Christmas. Add in a fake photo and That’s going to cause speculation. Why are they doing this to their kids?

  7. Linds says:

    We have zero idea what cancer he has, but bladder makes sense, because you don’t always go through traditional chemo and the treatments are fairly quick. My Dad had bladder cancer at 86 and was treated with chemo fluid pushed directly into his bladder. He beat it and is still with us 10 years later.
    Obviously, this is my personal knowledge and some cases would be treated differently and more severe.

    • Betsy says:

      That’s the thing about cancer: every tumor is different, even within a single person and even the “same” type of cancer.

      Frankly I dislike William so, so very much that I hope Charles lives a good while yet.

      • rosa mwemaid says:

        I agree about William, too much being looked up to by those around him, hope they aren’t doing the same thing to George.

    • lucy2 says:

      That’s how my dad was treated as well, he was in his 60s and now is 75, doing well.
      I think the prognosis is usually dependent on if it’s localized in the bladder or has spread beyond.

  8. Rosie says:

    My grandfather died of bladder cancer that spread to his lungs and spine. He was 81 when he died and in quite a lot of pain for his last year. He was diagnosed March 2012 and died June 2013. He also had symptoms for a good year before he eventually told my grandmother and went to the doctor so it was already pushing Stage IV when he was diagnosed.

  9. Amy Bee says:

    I mean his funeral arrangements were being revised the minute he ascended the throne so I don’t think there’s any difference now that he has cancer. As for Charles having bladder cancer it’s probably true.

  10. Sylindria says:

    There’s a newsletter only U.K. gossip mail called Popb*tch and they had a small three line piece last week that newsrooms across the U.K. were quietly updating the royal obituary as though they’d all heard the same things from sources.

    • blueberry says:

      Writing preemptive obits is a standard journalism practice. I’m sure there’s updating happening all the time with major world leaders and celebrities. Just like with the updating of funeral plans, it doesn’t prove anything one way or the other.

      • TigerMcQueen says:

        @blueberry, it is standard practice (I have some experience here), but to have numerous outlets updating at the same time at this point in time raises eyebrows. Charles’s obit would have been updated when he became king, likely tweaked after the con-a-nation, then when he announced the initial surgery, and again after the cancer diagnosis. To have multiple outlets update again just a few months after that last announcement is something (if several newsrooms are indeed doing so).

  11. Becks1 says:

    I think when a 75 year old man is diagnosed with cancer, in a position like his, the funeral plans are going to be reviewed.

    I also think Charles being sicker than we know could explain William’s panic over the past few months. but how does this fit in with Kate? Is he worried he won’t have time to divorce her before charles dies?

    Charles looks like he has lost some weight but besides that awful car picture, he looks okay-ish to me. A little tired, a little thinner, but roughly okay.

    I’m looking at the rest of the family and trying to use their actions to figure out what’s going on, but that’s not very helpful. It could explain William’s panic, but why does camilla look so happy? even if she loathes charles, she must know he protects her and if he goes, she’s at William’s mercy – unless Charles has made significant provisions for her in his will, which is likely.

    I just don’t know. I guess time will tell here.

    • rosa mwemaid says:

      Lets hope he does something to protect his younger son as well. William would probably cut Harry and Harry’s children out of the succession if he could.

    • MipMip says:

      One of my working theories is that Charles prognosis is not good and he told both William and Harry around the same time in mid- January when he went into the hospital for his “procedure.” Harry’s response was to jump on a plane and go see his dad.

      William’s response was to panic, because he has wanted to divorce Kate for at least two years- since early 2022 when we had all of those articles (from Carole) about which giant Windsor house they would move to, though she eventually had to settle for Adelaide. Charles’ medical news caused William to panic and for some spiteful reason his response was to drop Kate’s “abdominal surgery” news an hour before Charles announced his procedure.

      None of this was thought out or planned and so we have the weird frankenphoto/image doctoring mess. Maybe KP did those because Kate really is on strike in Bucklebury or Norfolk letting William bury himself with this mess. Because how does announcing Kate’s abdominal and cancer news help him divorce her so he can King without her? I don’t know but it could have been a Hail Mary by William that was just really really dumb. If that is the case then it helps explain why everyone in the RF has basically been blanking William.

      Not a clear theory but there was something very odd about the initial announcements being made an hour apart, with Kate’s first, like it was jammed in there.

      • MaryContrary says:

        I know popular wisdom around here is that he wants to divorce her. I don’t see that. I think he likes to project Happy Family, does love his kids, and knows that Kate will turn a blind eye to any of his activities. I think it’s more the realization that he really CAN’T do it even if he really wanted it, being King is way more work than he likes, and his freedom all the way around is about to be curtailed. I think he’s feeling trapped after years of being aimless, and it’s obvious to anyone who’s really paying attention to him that he’s really does not want the job and its responsibilities. I do think that’s the reason he’s so furious with Harry-he was able to “escape”.

      • DianaTheArcher says:

        Your thesis seems strong except for all-black attire Feb 6.

        Harry hurried to fly in (wearing all-black).
        Royals were wearing all-black.
        News anchors and paps were wearing all-black.

        Ockham’s Razor thesis?
        Widely coordinated all-black attire means a royal was on the brink of death.

        We publicly saw Charles teary and somber on Feb 6. Unless there’s some tradition IDK about where mourning attire is worn when a monarch is ill (which seems counterproductive to viewing the crown as powerful)…

        Ockham’s Razor says Kate was on the brink of death Feb 6.

      • Conch Call says:

        @Dianathearcher (great name!)- I don’t have friends at the BBC directly but from what I heard the all black attire was them thinking that Charles had taken a turn for the worse. There was an embargo for his Cancer update and they assumed it was bad news. It wasn’t about Kate, from what I heard. BBC is also always extra careful and has black ties ready.

      • Lucky Charm says:

        Or, perhaps Charles informed William in December about his surgery, and Kate taunted him with “now you can’t divorce me” and he just lost it?

    • Gabby says:

      I suspect that Camilla is quite tired of Charles by now, and will grieve for the cameras. I don’t know what aspects of her life will be at William’s mercy, but as long as she has funding and security she can retreat back to her home and do her own thing. I bet she won’t do royal work under William’s reign. I also think Anne will take that opportunity to retire.

      Th night Charles’ cancer diagnosis was announced, Tom Bower appeared on Piers Morgan’s show and let it slip that the queen wasn’t in good health either. Until this year, I had always thought she would die first.

      • Nemy says:

        @Gaby and @mary your guesses are on the money.
        A) She may or may not be protected in W’s reign but C got a substantial payout from Charles when she married him for the PB kids and her own troubles
        B) Yes, W does not want to divorce K because the arrangement is a sweet one for him. This is just both of them panicking and then taking care of some longstanding and er, multilayered health problems she’s had for a while

      • Lorelei says:

        @MaryContrary, I totally agree that William feels trapped and that is a large part of why he’s acting out this way.

        Until now, he was likely always able to tell himself that he still had options, that his father would live at least as long as Liz so he still had plenty of time to fck off and do whatever he wanted with little to no oversight, and even that he *could* abdicate and live freely like Harry (even if the idea was never taken seriously, the feeling that it was at least an *option* was probably comforting to him to keep at the back of his mind), etc.
        The reality of his situation has hit him like a ton of bricks, and he can’t cope.

  12. Jill says:

    I think this could go either way. He seemed like his normal self (at least in appearances that he made) immediately prior to his diagnosis. The treatment is most likely why everyone is panicking bc it makes you a shell of your former self and it’s scary. You feel and look like hell because your body is going through a war. It doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the end though.

  13. Harper says:

    Are they going to review their trash moves against Harry and Meghan as part of the funeral review? Amazing that Sykes can write a whole article about what went right and wrong with their last biggie and ignore that aspect of it.

    • Bunny says:

      When Charles passes, William will do all he can to prevent Harry from attending the funeral.

      • LRB says:

        I think Harry will say his farewells privately and stay away or just fly in fly out. He will not want to talk to TOB.

      • Eurydice says:

        I think it’s more likely that H&M will be invited, as is proper, but William will try to lord it over them and make their stay as miserable and humiliating as possible.

      • rosa mwemaid says:

        I don’t think that William is stupid enough to tell his brother to stay away.

      • Lorelei says:

        @Rosa, I think William definitely might be arrogant enough to think he has the right to ban Harry from his own father’s funeral.

  14. Brassy Rebel says:

    I wonder if Charles had been having symptoms for months but instead of consulting actual medical doctors, relied on herbal medicine to treat the symptoms. And I agree that Sykes used a hypothetical in an American outlet to tell us what is actually going on.

    • blueberry says:

      I have wondered the same. The example of Steve Jobs comes to mind. I hope I don’t offend anyone, but there is a lot of hubris tied up in “alternative medicine” treatments. (Working in conjunction and with actual data is not what I’m referring to here) We really have no idea what’s going on with him or for how long.

      • Petal says:

        Dominick Dunne also had bladder cancer, and after trying Western medicine, went to the same alternative clinic in Germany as Farrah Fawcett did when her rectal cancer got worse. Sadly, neither of them made it very far. I get that Charles would want to try, but I do think he would go for the Western approach first, perhaps with a side of alternative. Heavy is the crown and all that, so I don’t think he would want to go down in history as making “the wrong decision” as it were and only going alternative.

  15. Cerys says:

    Time will tell and nobody except those closest to Charles will know the real situation. However, I think this could be why William is hiding away. He’s having a meltdown as his big moment could be upon him much sooner than expected.

  16. kete says:

    I have been reading this site daily for awhile but have never commented. I recently watched a loved one go through cancer treatment. Despite the intention of “curing” the cancer, the treatment is brutal. Of course he is doing badly. Of course he feels terrible. Of course he is tired, in pain, looks ill. Chemo and radiation are so difficult for so many people. It is entirely likely that BP isn’t disclosing exactly how KC is doing.

  17. TN Democrat says:

    Camilla is the sinister pr genius Will-not thinks he is is, but isn’t. She has dirt on everyone and has deep press ties. She would not have married Charles without guaranteed wealth for herself and her children. Charles is difficult and needy. If Charles dies before her, she has enough dirt to destroy William, the press connections to follow through, doesn’t have to deal with Charles and gets to live a wealthy life free from any responsibilities to charity or crown. She also knows what is going on behind the scenes with Will-not/Keen and is gloating partially because the limelight should all be William’s at this point. Willy isn’t fit to be king and she knows all.

    • Petal says:

      To what end? Seriously this sounds ridiculous and more than a little bit masturbatory.

    • Belinda says:

      @TN Democrat – I totally agree with your comment. I don’t think Camilla ever wanted to marry Charles, and really didn’t want the Queening that went with it. She strikes me as someone who liked being a mistress far too much. As a mistress, she got all the fun bits, dinners at Highgrove with friends, luxury clothes and holidays, no worries about money, and a night of “fun” whilst able to turn over in the morning and not think about any royal engagements etc. She knows when/if Charles dies before her, she won’t now have to carry on with all the royal stuff, and as she’s in her late 70s then I bet she’s relieved. As many others have commented, she is most probably set up with trust funds for her and her children etc, and she can enjoy the rest of her life in luxury and never have to do anything she doesn’t want to do again. And I bet she loves needling William through the press as well. A win/win situation for her imo.

  18. Lady Digby says:

    I hope KC makes a good recovery and makes amends to both sons, Meghan and Archie and Lili. Preparing the heir is a two way street so both father and son need to make that happen by working together. Shadowing, mentoring, appropriate delegation, sharing the workload to ensure a harmonious present and smooth transition to the next reign, which we all hope is still years away. Can’t change past mistakes but both king and heir need to face the reality of the present and start to help each other adjust to what is the mature and responsible way forward. Both have obligations to each other so it is time to honour them with good grace because they are in the king business together right ?

    • Jais says:

      Let’s say she’s well set-up by Charles which I assume she is. Charles passes and she just what? Chills out at Ray Mill? Nah. Don’t get me wrong, she will absolutely be gin-chilling but she’s been a player for too long. She’s also gonna have tabloid editors on speed dial throughout William’s reign. For shits and giggles and bc that’s what she does. Starting rumors and playing games. I highly doubt she’s gonna be satisfied just reading books all day. But maybe I’m wrong.

      • Jais says:

        This was meant for @TNdemocrat! Sorry @ladydigby for the weird segue😂. Mostly, I don’t know that I see many of these people acting with grace.

      • Lady D says:

        Well with any luck, karma has been sipping chilled gin too (btw, yuck) just biding her time.

      • Gabby says:

        So Karma is coming for William in the form of Camilla? That’s delicious. He is outgunned and will be repeatedly outwitted.

    • Lorelei says:

      @LadyDigby,

      “…both king and heir need to face the reality of the present and start to help each other adjust to what is the mature and responsible way forward. Both have obligations to each other so it is time to honour them with good grace because they are in the king business together right?”

      In an ideal world, yes. And I can even see Charles understanding that while the current situation is…suboptimal at best, lol, he needs to “meet William where he is” (or whatever that expression is). Clearly William is not anywhere near ready to reign, but for the good of the monarchy, I could see Charles trying for a last chance Hail Mary to try and do whatever is necessary to get William thinking on the right track.

      But I really don’t think William is willing to or capable of doing what’s needed to get himself there, no matter how much help he has or how much time and grace he’s given. He’s shown (and flat-out told!) the public for years who he is, how he operates, and what his future plans are— and by all indications, he has no interest whatsoever in stepping up or changing his behavior in any way. He’s going to do as little as humanly possible— less than any monarch before him — and only time will tell how being the first “Work From Home King” goes for him (my guess is that it will go poorly, very poorly!).

      I wonder if Charles now regrets all of those years that he, along with his mother, let William do fck all with zero accountability. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

  19. QuiteContrary says:

    I want to see the monarchy abolished, but cancer sucks. No one going through it is going to look well.

  20. Vader says:

    Chucky probably thought he would have a lifespan more like his parents and he’d have plenty of time to try rewrite his legacy. Now with his illness, he must be realizing that the only things he will ever be known for are 1) what he did to Diana and 2) what he did to Harry and Meghan. Every history book about him after he’s gone will always talk about how he betrayed his 1st wife and his own son. Too bad for the tampon king.

    • Jais says:

      That’s really the truth.

    • Lorelei says:

      @Vader and @Jais, so true.

      He *might* have earned a tiny footnote for being so ahead of the curve in terms of his thinking on environmental issues, but all of that has been eradicated by his greedy ass putting his own personal maximum comfort above any valid concerns for the planet, owning multiple homes (many of which sit empty a majority of the time), taking private jets (along with all of his own bedroom furniture, apparently, and all of his other wasteful nonsense) everywhere, etc.

    • equality says:

      Quite likely. What do most people remember about Henry VIII?

  21. Mads says:

    June will be a litmus test for the RF with the D-Day commemoration, Ascot and Trooping of the Colour. If Charles doesn’t attend Ascot then things are not good.

    As to Kate, I can’t see how KP can keep up the blackout on her health if she’s not seen at any of these high profile engagements – even a glimpse of her at the window overlooking the parade ground during Trooping should be feasible. If she can’t manage to be seen in a semi public capacity by mid June then her condition is much worse than what the briefings are saying.

    One thing I did find interesting is that William didn’t look as stressed out during a couple of engagements today. Perhaps he’s coming to terms with how his life and plans were upended in Dec/Jan.

    • Lady D says:

      Or to quote Stephen King, “better living through pharmaceuticals”

    • Nemy says:

      From what I’ve heard here in London- she’s not doing great not because she has something fatal but because her health issues were “multipronged” and different from what we know- but her life is not in danger. She ll be fine. But both her and W have been stressed out of their minds with KC III

    • Lorelei says:

      @Mads, ITA about June. It will be very telling in terms of both Charles’s and Kate’s conditions.
      And Wimbledon, as well— Kate NEVER misses Wimbledon. If she doesn’t make at least one appearance there this summer, I think we should all be able to agree she is not doing well, no matter what her diagnosis is.

      • Mads says:

        I forgot about Wimbledon! It’s scheduled for the first two weeks of July this year so, if she hasn’t been seen in public by then, it will be more than 6 months of no live sightings 😬. Surely, if that happens, KP will be facing a frenzy of speculation and have to make some sort of announcement?

  22. Lalala says:

    My dad had bladder cancer. It was written off for years as a prostate issue and very advanced once they finally found it. It was hell to beat the first time around and the chemo is nasty stuff, some of the strongest chemo there is. If that’s what Charles has I don’t doubt he’s very sick right now, regardless of his prognosis.

    My dad managed to beat it back one time, and five years later it came back like a freight train. He went from diagnosis to passing away in less than 2 weeks.

  23. Claire says:

    We already knew that he didn’t have prostate cancer, so in terms of the other most likely culprits that could have been found in imaging or tests related to his prostate removal (if it’s to be believed that’s really how they found this cancer), isn’t bladder cancer one of the cancers with better general outcomes vs. what some.of the other cancers that could have been found in that area would have been (pancreatic, colorectal, stomach, etc) when comparing all of those cancers against bladder cancer if they’re all found at the same stage? So maybe it’s just me, but after hearing so much about how the cancer was a lot more serious than Charles was letting on to the public, I had been thinking that perhaps he had pancreatic cancer or something. It does make sense that he would have bladder though, because I’ve heard that the chemo for bladder cancer is more localized and doesn’t always involve hair falling out, etc. I can only guess that it’s an advanced stage if there are rumblings that this is very serious, though that would go against what the prime minister said at the outset (that it was caught at an early stage – though the way the prime minister phrased that always made me think he might be talking out of his butt / assuming it was early stage after misinterpreting something else that the palace told him).

  24. Lau says:

    I can’t help but feel like it’s William and his team who are behind article like this one. He seems to enjoy talking about his father’s funerals. It’s dark, I know.

  25. Lady Digby says:

    @Conch Call are your Fleet Street friends gleeful or alarmed at the prospect of covering or just covering up for King Billy? Didn’t some journalist tweet that he’d love to share the FULL SP on FK when the time is right?

    • Conch Call says:

      @lady digby- haven’t heard much strong sentiment either way because it makes less of a difference to the establishment than we think. but I do know that William is preferred whereas KC was considered more compromised and a wildcard so there was more trepidation. It’s also going to be a smaller palace set up when it’s down to William. Camilla is the interesting piece to me personally

  26. Beverley says:

    Will must be panicking that he can’t divorce Kate in time and he’ll be stuck with her as Queen. He must be beside himself!

    • zinjazin says:

      My impression of them is that he could accept her as a sort of missus at home tending to the kids and house if he doesnt have to spend to much time with her.
      But her total incompetence in public and in her role with gaffes and ignorance, flashing, grabbing him etc, is just to embarrassing and the fact that she cant even pretend to care about charities it doesnt look good at all.
      I think he feels humiliated by her like with the south korean state visit and Philips funeral etc.

    • Unblinkered says:

      Replying to Beverley above (if it’s correct about Charles’s health, and I very much hope it isn’t and that he’s soon recovered) I imagine W is in a blind panic. Both at being lumbered as you describe, and at decades of inescapable highly visible service just round the corner. Serious daily work.

      I wonder what’s being cobbled together behind the scenes to ensure his compliance? Something will be.

  27. therese says:

    I feel cold toward Charles, as he was cold towards Diana, and cold-bloodedly used her. I’m afraid I felt the same when Elizabeth died. What have they done to endear themselves to anyone. Yes, I know Charles has done his duties, but those were his duties, and it involved his reputation, standing as POW, etc. When it came to giving of self and kindness and love to his family and son………He was at least indirectly responsible for the death of Diana by not taking care of someone who did her duty to him by giving him an heir and a spare. He cast her off without protection and she is now deceased. And then he did it again. Cast off his own flesh and blood and took away his protection, and house, and tried to take away his reputation. He used his spare. I heard a Podcaster say that Karma has everyone’s address. I know, I need to take my own inventory, but he chose what he wanted to do, and that’s the way I feel about him and his potential passing. I don’t wish him any ill, I do wish he could get 100 percent well and have more time to potentially do good. But it is quite a meditation to me to do good while I can. We may not pass this way again. I’m just going to say it, may not have another chance. I’ve always thought Charles was one of the most deeply peculiar persons.

  28. Kelti says:

    Don’t forget he had Covid twice. Studies have indicated that Covid messes with T cells and can accelerate cancers. My mother went from stage one to stage four in two months thanks to getting Covid. She was vaccinated and had mild Covid symptoms but, the cancer went wild. She died shortly after.

    • Staci says:

      I am sorry for your loss Kelti. I don’t know if it was because of Covid, but I lost my dad two years ago to leukemia. He was perfectly healthy, and then in a month he was diagnosed and six months later he was gone. Leukemia is more important common in men in their seventies/eighties. I am not an expert, but Charles does exhibit some of the same signs my dad had.

      On a different note, has anyone heard from @MaryP? It’s been a couple of days and I am concerned. I know she and her husband aren’t in the best of health.

    • bisynaptic says:

      💔 I’m so sorry for your loss.

  29. atlantababe says:

    tmz is reporting that its going poorly and funeral plans are being updated.

  30. Joy says:

    As a former coder/biller for urology, bladder cancer was my first thought when it was announced that cancer was “found” during the prostate surgery. I saw this again and again. Usually in men who had had testopel pellets implanted for years. They would end up with enlarged prostate, which, when removed, would in turn usually end up being prostate cancer. As soon as the prostate was removed, it spread like wildfire to the bladder. Those patients all died after the bladder cancer DX. This is just my experience at one urology practice.

  31. blue says:

    Carboplatin is an infused chemo drug often used against brain and bladder cancer. I got CP for 6 months at 3 week intervals during treatment for recurring breast cancer. The side effects were hideous & I was limited to being in my bed or at my toilet for 2 weeks or longer after each infusion. If Charles is getting any of the platinum-based drugs, his infrequent outings and diminished physical appearance are to be expected. The good news is that when the treatment is successful, patients do recover stamina after the drug is withdrawn although CP itself may cause kidney damage as well as neuropathic pain, both permanent.