King Charles says doctors can reduce his cancer treatments in new year

King Charles said on Friday that his doctors can reduce his treatment for cancer in the new year, describing the moment as a “blessing” and testament to remarkable medical advances.

Charles, 77, was diagnosed with an unspecified form of cancer in February 2024, and made the latest announcement in a televised broadcast as part of a national cancer awareness campaign in Britain.

“I am able to share with you the good news that thanks to early diagnosis, effective intervention and adherence to doctors’ orders, my own schedule of cancer treatment can be reduced in the new year,” he said.

“This milestone is both a personal blessing and a testimony to the remarkable advances that have been made in cancer care in recent years.”

A spokesperson for Buckingham Palace said that doctors will move his treatment “into a precautionary phase” because he had “responded exceptionally well to treatment,” but they will continuously monitor his health.

The news provides some relief to the British Royal Family after an almost two-year period when he and his daughter-in-law Catherine, Princess of Wales, had both undergone treatment for the disease.

Catherine announced in January that she was in remission, after completing chemotherapy the previous September.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said “I know I speak for the entire country when I say how glad I am that his cancer treatment will be reduced.”

Unusual candour from Royal Family

The King’s public remarks about his experience with cancer and his health are unusual for the Royal Family, which traditionally does not reveal much about the personal lives of its members.

The Buckingham Palace spokesperson said the advice from the cancer experts is that “it is preferable that His Majesty does not address his own specific condition but rather speaks to those affected by all forms of the disease.”

Wearing a pinstriped suit and a “Stand Up to Cancer” badge, Charles spoke about the importance of cancer screenings and said early diagnosis “quite simply saves lives.”

But he expressed concern that at least nine million people in Britain were not up to date with the screenings available to them.

“Too often, I am told, people avoid screening because they imagine it may be frightening, embarrassing or uncomfortable,” he said. “If and when they finally do take up their invitation, they are glad they took part.”

Tests detected his cancer after a corrective procedure for an enlarged prostate, Buckingham Palace said in February 2024.

At the time, the palace said it would not provide regular updates on his treatment, and did not give details about the cancer.

After some time away from the spotlight, Charles returned to public duties with a busy schedule of ceremonies, appearances and foreign trips.

In March 2025, Buckingham Palace said Charles was briefly hospitalized after suffering side effects from his cancer treatment, which were not specified.

The King said he had been “profoundly moved by what he called the ‘community of care’ ” that surrounds every cancer patient, including the nurses, researchers and volunteers who work tirelessly to save and improve lives.

“The darkest moments of illness can be illuminated by the greatest compassion,” he said. “I pray that we can each pledge, as part of our resolutions for the year ahead, to play our part in helping to catch cancer early.”