In 2024, King Charles had a challenging year. In January, Buckingham Palace announced that he needed a medical procedure to treat an enlarged prostate. The king chose to share this personal health update to encourage other men to take their health seriously, get regular checkups, and not ignore potential issues.
The Palace explained, “The king, like many men every year, sought treatment for an enlarged prostate.” After the procedure, he was released from the hospital within a few days. However, on February 5, more news about his health came to light. During the procedure, doctors noticed another issue. After further tests, they confirmed it was a type of cancer.
An insider later shared why King Charles decided not to reveal the specific type of cancer he was diagnosed with. Many thought the information would be made public, especially since the Palace was open about his prostate procedure. But the king made a deliberate choice to keep it private. According to a source, his reason was to focus on helping a broader audience. Instead of narrowing attention to one type of cancer, he wanted to connect with as many people as possible who might be going through similar struggles.
The impact of his health announcement was significant. After the Palace shared the news about his prostate procedure, the NHS website page about prostate enlargement saw a massive increase in visits—11 times more than usual. In fact, one person visited the page every five seconds, totaling over 16,000 visits.
2024 was a difficult year not just for King Charles but for the entire royal family. In March, Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales, announced that she, too, had been diagnosed with cancer and would begin treatment. This added to the family’s challenges and deeply affected Prince William. He later described the year as “brutal,” saying it was “probably the hardest year of my life.”
In September, Kate shared some uplifting news. She announced on social media that she had completed chemotherapy and was now cancer-free. Her post was emotional and heartfelt as she reflected on the past months, saying, “The last nine months have been incredibly tough for us as a family. I am so relieved to have finished my treatment. Now, my focus is on staying cancer-free.”
As for King Charles, his treatment is ongoing. Buckingham Palace shared that his condition is being managed well and that he will continue his treatment plan into 2025. An insider described the progress as positive and emphasized that things were moving in the right direction for the king. Despite the difficulties of the past year, the royal family is looking forward to better days ahead.