What happens when royals get cancer - from top surgeons to who stands in
King Charles' cancer update sent shockwaves through the world on Monday, sparking fears for what happens next.
The shock news was announced by Buckingham Palace after cancerous cells were spotted during his surgery for an enlarged prostate. It comes only 17 months into his reign and less than a year after his Coronation. So what happens when a member of the royal family gets cancer? According to the NHS, one in two of us will get the disease at some point in our lives, and the royals are no different.
In fact, the King isn't even the first member of the wider family this year to announce he has it. Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson revealed last month she was battling a malignant melanoma after dermatologists removed a mole from her skin.
The 64-year-old shared the news after previously being hit with cancer news less than six months ago, when doctors broke the news she had breast cancer. She was pictured last week leaving the London Clinic in Marylebone - the same hospital where the King underwent the prostate surgery which brought his cancer to light.
The King has cancer - what next for the royal family, who who will step in if need be? (UK Press via Getty Images)A spokesman for the Duchess said at the time that the melanoma was found while she was “undergoing reconstructive surgery following her mastectomy”. “She is undergoing further investigations to ensure that this has been caught in the early stages,” the spokesperson added.
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Sarah Ferguson revealed last month she had been given a second cancer diagnosis (Getty Images)
Heavy smoker King George died after battling lung cancer (Popperfoto via Getty Images)“Clearly, another diagnosis so soon after treatment for breast cancer has been distressing but the Duchess remains in good spirits.” Previous royals who faced cancer diagnoses have included the Queen Mother, who faced both breast and colon cancer while King George VI was on the throne. However, neither of these were revealed until her death in 2002.
Keen smoker King George also developed lung cancer while on the throne, with a malignant tumour removed from his left lung in 1951. Sadly, he never fully recovered and died on this exact day in 1952, passing the throne to the late-Queen. During his illness, the then-Princess Elizabeth would step in for her father.
Royals have access to some of the world's top oncologists following cancer diagnoses. The Firm has a roster of private and exclusive London hospitals they use, including the London Clinic, where Princess of Wales Kate also recently underwent abdominal surgery. The top clinic is located near Harley Street, famous for housing other top private hospitals and medical practices.
The facility treats more than 150 different illnesses, including cancer. According to its site, it's also the only hospital in London offering adaptive radiotherapy to people with bladder cancer, while also the first in the UK offering revolutionary SpaceOAR treatment for prostate cancer - which removes the rectal wall from the prostate during radiotherapy to minimise side effects.
The King has some of the best treatment available at the London Clinic in Marylebone (AFP via Getty Images)Buckingham Palace has not yet revealed what form of cancer King Charles has, however, officials say it is not prostate cancer. A Palace spokesperson said: And in cases of serious illnesses such as the Big C, of course there is also the question of who stands in? The King has cancelled all public-facing duties for the foreseeable as he recovers from his surgery and takes the next steps in his cancer treatment.
Those billed to stand in include seven counsellors of state, however, those technically include the Duke of Sussex, who lives in California after stepping down as a working royal, and the disgraced Duke of York. The reality in only working family members in his line of succession can formally deputise for the King.
Those include Prince William and Princess Beatrice, as well as Princess Anne and Edward. The latter two were both previously counsellors of state before they were overtaken in the order of succession. But it is thought that none of them will be asked to step in for the King on a formal basis as the royal has announced he will carry on working behind the scenes on state business and official papers.
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