King Charles III’s estranged son Prince Harry has reportedly arrived in London after his father’s diagnosis of cancer, which doctors “caught early.”
The Telegraph and The Sun newspapers reported that Harry arrived at Heathrow airport on Tuesday following an overnight flight from Los Angeles.
According to Barron’s, Prince Harry’s car was reportedly seen being driven from the airport accompanied by two police cars, less than 24 hours since Buckingham Palace made Charles’s cancer diagnosis public.
Harry, who now lives in California with his actress wife Meghan and their children, has been at war with his family since quitting royal life and launching a barrage of score-settling criticism in his best-selling autobiography “Spare.”
Royal watchers say that while Charles’s ill health may be a catalyst for a rapprochement between father and son, healing the rift with his brother Prince William, heir to the throne, would be more difficult.
Buckingham Palace has not specified the type of cancer afflicting the 75-year-old monarch who will now step back from public-facing royal duties to complete his treatment.
Charles is just 17 months into his reign having waited decades to begin the job he was born to do following the death of his 96-year-old mother, Queen Elizabeth II, on September 8, 2022.
Citizens expressed shock and sympathy at the news.
“We feel so flat because the king really has hit the ground running,” said Sue Hazell, a retiree from the northern English city of Doncaster, as she visited Buckingham Palace.
“It’s not nice to hear anyone’s been diagnosed with cancer,” added Sarah Firisen, 55, a software sales worker.
“I feel kind of bad for him. He waited all these years to be king.”
The diagnosis will prolong a frontline shortage of royals created by Charles’s admission to hospital last month for a benign prostate procedure and the almost simultaneous hospitalisation of Catherine, Princess of Wales.
The royals’ health issues have left 76-year-old Queen Camilla as the highest-profile royal, with support from Charles’s sister Princess Anne, 73.
“Thankfully, this has been caught early and now everyone will be wishing that he gets the treatment that he needs and makes a full recovery,” Sunak told the BBC
“I think that’s what we’re all hoping and praying for and I am, of course, in regular contact with him and will continue to communicate with him as normal,” he said.
Charles has generally enjoyed good health, barring injuries from polo and skiing.
But the palace said that during his recent hospital procedure to treat prostate enlargement, “a separate issue of concern was noted” and subsequent diagnostic tests had identified “a form of cancer”.
“Many families around the country who are listening to this will have been touched by the same thing and they know what it means for everyone,” Sunak said.
“So we’ll just be willing him on and hopefully we’ll get through this as quickly as possible.”
Doctors have advised Charles to postpone any engagements, though he will continue to “undertake state business and official paperwork as usual”, the palace said.
The king “remains wholly positive” and “looks forward to returning to full public duty as soon as possible”, it added.
Charles won plaudits last month for being open about his prostate condition, with doctors saying many more members of the public had subsequently come forward with symptoms.
He was discharged from a London hospital on January 29 after a three-night stay for corrective surgery.
