On September 3, the King of the United Kingdom, 76 — who shared his cancer diagnosis with the world in February 2024 — opened Midland Metropolitan University Hospital in Smethwick, UK, and spoke to cancer patient Matthew Shinda, according to Hello!
When asked how he was recovering, the royal answered, “I’m not too bad.”
Shinda, 73, reportedly told him, “I have the same disease. It’s prostate.”
“Half the problem is detecting it, isn’t it, in time,” Charles responded, according to the outlet.
“The great thing I think is they’re getting better and better at dealing with these things,” Charles added. “The trouble is there’s always hope down the road. I am sorry about that, it’s so frustrating.”
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Charles has yet to disclose what type of cancer he has, and the BBC previously reported it was not prostate cancer.
Charles also spoke to Jacqueline Page, a patient in the acute elderly care ward, who told him she was “wearing out,” and he seemed to relate.
“I know, this is the terrible thing, as I am discovering already,” Charles told 85-year-old Page. “The bits don’t work so well when you get past 70.”
In February 2024, Buckingham Palace released a statement on Charles’s behalf, revealing he had cancer.
“During The King’s recent hospital procedure for benign prostate enlargement, a separate issue of concern was noted,” read the statement. “Subsequent diagnostic tests have identified a form of cancer.”
Most recently in March, Charles was hospitalized for “side effects” from his “ongoing medical treatment for cancer,” according to Buckingham Palace.