King Charles has been diagnosed with a form of cancer, says Buckingham Palace.
It is not prostate cancer, but was discovered during his recent treatment for an enlarged prostate.
The type of cancer has not been revealed, but the palace said the King began “regular treatments” on Monday.
Buckingham Palace says the King “remains wholly positive about his treatment”. He will postpone his public engagements, with senior royals expected to stand in for him.
The King “looks forward to returning to full public duty as soon as possible”, the palace said.
In a show of good health, the king visited church on Sunday, February 04, in his first public outing since receiving treatment for an enlarged prostate.
The monarch waved to the cameras as he attended a service with his wife, Queen Camilla, at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham, Norfolk, on Sunday.
He spent three nights at the London Clinic private hospital following a corrective procedure for his benign prostate condition last week.
The Princess of Wales also had abdominal surgery at the same hospital.
She spent 13 nights there after having an operation, and although the exact nature of the surgery has not been revealed, it is believed she will need several months of recovery.
The princess’s last public appearance was also at St Mary Magdalene Church, for the Royal Family’s annual Christmas Day visit.
Last month, it was announced she had gone into hospital, – and she later left the London Clinic without being spotted.
As she recovers, her husband, the Prince of Wales, will also take a break from royal duties.
It has been reported that the King could take up to a month off from public events so he can spend time recovering too.
In the meantime, the Queen has been holding the fort as the most senior member of the Royal Family while the King, Catherine and Prince William take a brief step back.
Earlier this week, she said her husband was “doing his best” following his hospital visit as she opened a cancer support centre at the Royal Free Hospital in London.
During another royal visit to Bath to mark the anniversary of the St John’s Foundation, she told well-wishers he was “recovering well”.
King Charles is thought to have wanted to share the news of his treatment in the hope of encouraging other men to get themselves checked.
NHS England said the “enlarged prostate” page on the NHS website received one visit every five seconds on the day his diagnosis was announced, as well as further huge boosts in visits during the following days.
