London:

Britain’s King Charles III, who has devoted himself to his role as monarch since taking the throne nearly 17 months ago, announced he has cancer on Monday.

At an age when most people retire, Charles, 75, began the job he was born to do after the death of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022.

Unlike Elizabeth, who cultivated an air of mystery and distance, Charles appeared more approachable, smiling and shaking hands with crowds at public events.

Throughout his life as an heiress, Charles – who says he remains “completely optimistic” despite his cancer diagnosis – developed a range of interests and passions, from architecture to organic farming.

He was also an early advocate for environmental and climate issues.

Some thought he was an lovable weirdo – he was famous for talking to his plants – others were critical of his messy divorce from Princess Diana. Princess Diana’s popularity eclipsed his own, and her death in a car crash in 1997 sparked a crisis. For the sake of the monarchy.

Since becoming king, he has made appearances in all four of Britain’s nations, leading a campaign for unity after a turbulent past marked by Brexit and calls for Scottish independence.

Charles has been very public about his health.

Last month, it was revealed that he had an enlarged prostate and would undergo surgery in hospital, but that the condition was not cancerous.

The revelation prompted a spike in internet searches for the term “enlarged prostate” on the state-run NHS website.

Buckingham Palace said the king wanted to make his subsequent cancer diagnosis public to “prevent speculation and hope it will help the public understand all those affected by cancer around the world”.

This is in line with his desire for a more modern and open monarchy that would keep the ancient institution relevant, especially for younger Britons, but also comes as he is also king of 14 other countries outside the UK. Republican sentiment was high.

Charles also leads the 56-nation Commonwealth of Nations, which accounts for about a quarter of the world’s population.

He also called for unity there to help tackle “the most pressing issues of our time,” including climate change.

overshadowed

Charles lived in his mother’s shadow for 70 years, his sole role as heir being to support her “as a focus of national pride, unity and allegiance”.

Despite his apparent enthusiasm for his new job, his strained relationship with younger son Harry and wife Meghan caused trouble at the start of his reign.

While Charles has been seeking to become monarch, Harry’s reckoning in his autobiography “Backup” and the Netflix series has dominated headlines.

Although his coronation last May was met with enthusiasm, not everyone welcomed him with open arms.

Some royal parades have seen anti-monarchy protests, including egg throwing.

According to the latest poll from YouGov, Charles (51%) trails his mother (75%) and William (68%) in terms of popularity.

However, royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams described his ratings as “not bad at all”.

“If someone comes to the throne in their seventies, you get respectable approval ratings, and he does it because he’s conscientious,” he told AFP.

Peter Ricketts, the former British ambassador to Paris, said he believed Charles would be respected for bringing “personal convictions to his work”, especially the importance of saving the planet for future generations.

– doting grandpa

Ricketts described Charles as a “warm, emotional man”, while William and Harry said he was a hard-working father who they often found asleep in his office late at night.

Charles’ second wife, Queen Camilla, described her husband as a hurried man but also a doting grandfather who read the Harry Potter books.

“He does all the vocals because he’s a great impersonator,” she said. “It’s really sweet. He’s really good with the kids. They love it.”

With Harry in self-imposed exile in the United States and Charles’ brother Prince Andrew stepping aside amid a sex scandal, the king has been building the monarchy around himself and Camilla.

William and his wife Kate are also part of the inner circle of the king’s youngest brother Prince Edward and his wife Sophie.

However, the wisdom of Charles’ so-called “slimming down” monarchy was called into question last month after it was announced that Catherine, Princess of Wales, would undergo abdominal surgery and require weeks of recuperation.

With Charles sidelined due to prostate surgery and Catherine’s husband – heir to the throne Prince William – taking a back seat to help take care of the family, the most high-profile royal on the front line is 76-year-old Camilla.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)