Britain’s King Charles will be absent from next week’s Commonwealth Day engagements, as announced by Buckingham Palace on Tuesday. Queen Camilla will stand in for the monarch as he continues cancer treatment.
The 75-year-old King Charles stepped back from public duties after his cancer diagnosis was revealed last month, just 18 months into his reign.
He will miss the annual service at Westminster Abbey on Monday and the subsequent reception. Instead, Queen Camilla will lead the senior royals in attendance, including Prince William, the heir to the throne.
King Charles (Credits: Times Now)
Meanwhile, Prince William’s wife, Kate, will also be absent, having withdrawn from public life earlier this year after undergoing abdominal surgery for a non-cancer-related condition.
Charles, however, has maintained his official state duties and was seen meeting with Finance Minister Jeremy Hunt on Tuesday ahead of Hunt’s budget statement to parliament.
It remains uncertain when Charles will resume his usual public role. The absence of both Charles and Kate, along with William missing an engagement last week due to a “personal matter,” has sparked speculation and conspiracy theories on social media.
While the British royals typically keep medical conditions private, opting for a dignified silence on rumors, the growing speculation has put pressure on this policy.
Royal expert Richard Kay noted in the Daily Mail that the rampant speculation on social media highlights the need for more transparency.
Kate’s office has indicated that updates on her condition will only be provided if significant, and she is not expected to return to public duties until after Easter.
The Ministry of Defence confirmed she would attend an annual military parade in June, but Kensington Palace, responsible for confirming her attendance at future events, has not yet done so.
This news follows the publication of a photo by U.S. celebrity news site TMZ, purportedly showing the first image of the Princess of Wales since her January operation, seated in the passenger seat of a car driven by her mother near Windsor Castle.
