King Charles has issued his first public statement following his cancer diagnosis.
The 75-year-old monarch revealed he had been diagnosed with cancer on Monday, before flying with Queen Camilla to Sandringham, where he is resting after beginning treatment.
On Wednesday night he broke his public silence to issue a statement to mark the 50th anniversary of the independence of the former British colony of Grenada.
The King apologized for not being able to visit the Caribbean island, referring to Grenada's national dish, a stew known as “Oil Down.”
The statement read: “I can only say how sorry I am that I cannot be with you in person to mark this momentous milestone and enjoy some Oil Down with all of you!
King Charles with Camilla. The couple flew to Sandringham on Tuesday, where the King rests.
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“My thoughts are with everyone in Grenada, Carriacou and Petit Martinique, and with all those in the Grenadian diaspora – 'one people, one family' – as they celebrate all they have achieved and all that the future holds for them. “My family joins me in sending our heartfelt congratulations to all of you.”
Charles also said he had “special memories” of his visit to Grenada five years ago with Camilla.
The statement said: “My wife and I have very special memories of our visit to your beautiful 'Spice Island' five years ago, and the warm and touching welcome you extended to us.
“So, as always when I have met Grenadians anywhere in the world, I was amazed by their resilience, the strength of their community and their shared determination to make a positive difference.”
Charles and Camillia visited Granada five years ago. Charles said he had “special memories” of the trip
(REUTERS)
The statement was issued on the same night that Prince William attended a charity gala dinner in London, where he thanked the public for their “kind messages of support.” Hours earlier, the Prince of Wales led an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle.
Meanwhile, Prince Harry was spotted at London's Heathrow Airport ahead of his flight back to the United States after spending just over 24 hours in the country. Harry had a meeting with Charles that lasted less than an hour on Tuesday.
Their previous face-to-face meeting had been during the Coronation last May, although he made a quick exit to return to the US to celebrate his son Archie's fourth birthday.
The King's cancer was discovered while he was being treated for a benign enlarged prostate last month.
The palace confirmed it was not prostate cancer, but remained tight-lipped about the nature and stage of his illness.
Charles personally called Harry and William, as well as their siblings Anne, the Duke of York and the Duke of Edinburgh, to break the news before the Palace announced it publicly to the nation at 6pm on Monday.
The Palace has asked that the King's privacy be respected, especially during his treatment, but said it wanted to make his diagnosis public because of his long-standing support of cancer charities.
When the King shared his diagnosis of an enlarged prostate, there was a significant increase in searches for this condition on the NHS website.
(AFP via Getty Images)
The day after the announcement there were 16,410 visits to the prostate enlargement page on the NHS website compared to 1,414 visits the day before.
Buckingham Palace said the King decided to share his cancer diagnosis to “avoid speculation and in the hope that it can help public understanding of all those around the world affected by cancer.”
While other members of the royal family will look to step up their responsibilities to support the King, there have already been signs he will resume weekly in-person meetings with Rishi Sunak in two weeks.
And the statement on the anniversary of Grenada's independence showed that he sought to continue his work despite his diagnosis.
