King Charles to Continue Cancer Treatment Until 2025, Expected to Resume Full Royal Duties

King Charles III is said to be planning to fully resume his royal duties in 2025, which include significant visits both in the UK and internationally, despite facing cancer treatment.

Recently, the monarch held a pre-Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace, which saw the presence of various senior members of the royal family. Notably, Prince William and Kate Middleton chose not to attend the lunch, preferring to celebrate the season in Norfolk instead.

In another recent development, King Charles and Queen Camilla unveiled their official Christmas card. The card featured a photo taken in the sunny gardens of Buckingham Palace back in April.

A Buckingham Palace insider has shared that King Charles’ health is being carefully “managed” and showing positive progress, although the monarch will still require ongoing cancer treatment into next year.

“His treatment has been moving in a positive direction, as a managed condition the treatment cycle will continue into the new year’, the Palace insider said, per the Daily Mail.

The source revealed that plans are already underway for Charles to resume a full schedule of royal engagements next year, including a series of significant UK and international visits during the first half of 2025.

The update comes as Charles welcomed members of the Royal Family to Buckingham Palace for a festive pre-Christmas gathering.

Meanwhile, he and Queen Camilla attended their final public engagement of 2024 today: A reception at Waltham Forest Town Hall in East London.

Despite facing a year of personal challenges, including his own cancer diagnosis as well as the Princess of Wales’ health battle, Charles has continued his royal responsibilities.

In recent months, he notably increased his royal engagements, including a visit to Apple’s London headquarters and a meeting with CEO Tim Cook.

“You could almost forget at the start of the year this was a man that faced the shock of being diagnosed with cancer,” a source shared with Sky News.

The announcement of Charles’ cancer, the specifics of which remain undisclosed, first emerged in February. It was discovered during treatment for an enlarged prostate in January.

Following the diagnosis, Charles temporarily stepped back from in-person duties but returned in April.

Since then, he has attended D-Day commemorations in France, hosted state visits for the Emperor of Japan and the Emir of Qatar, and embarked on a demanding tour of Australia and Samoa with Queen Camilla—all while continuing outpatient cancer treatment.

Charles was spotted arriving at the palace alongside his private secretary for his pre-Christmas lunch.

Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, were also seen attending the gathering.

However, Prince William and Kate Middleton did not attend the royal family’s traditional pre-Christmas lunch. According to The Times UK, the Prince and Princess of Wales traveled to Norfolk to begin their holiday celebrations.

Their three children, Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6, joined their parents and skipped their grandfather’s event.

Charles’ pre-Christmas lunch, which is usually held a week before Christmas, is a long-standing royal tradition with around 70 guests typically in attendance.

Last year, Charles hosted the celebration at Windsor Castle, but this year, it has returned to Buckingham Palace, reflecting its usual location under Queen Elizabeth II’s reign.

Earlier this month, Charles and Camilla unveiled their official Christmas card, featuring a photo of the couple in Buckingham Palace’s garden.

Captured in April, the image shows the King and Queen standing side by side on a bright, sunny day. The greeting inside the card read, “Wishing you a very happy Christmas and New Year.”

In the photo, Charles, standing to the left, donned a grey suit paired with a blue tie, his right hand tucked into his pocket. On the other hand, Queen Camilla was dressed in a blue wool crepe dress.

The photograph, taken by Millie Pilkington, was shot as the king resumed public engagements following his cancer treatment, and according to the palace, the card symbolizes a time when life was beginning to feel normal again.

The festive card marks Charle and Camila’s third Christmas card since the 76-year-old became king.

Last year’s card featured a regal moment captured by Hugo Burnand in the Throne Room at Buckingham Palace shortly after Charles’ coronation.

Charles wore the Imperial State Crown in that image, while Camilla donned Queen Mary’s Crown.

In addition to Charles, his sons, William and Harry, have also released holiday cards featuring images of their families.