‘Better side’: King’s candid update on cancer treatment progress

King Charles III, Sovereign Head of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath, attends a Service for The Order of the Bath at Westminster Abbey. Photo / Getty Images

• The King is “on the better side” of his cancer treatment after receiving weekly care.
• He and Prince William attended a service at Westminster Abbey for the Order of the Bath.
• The King will visit Canada in May and host Emmanuel Macron later this year.

The King has revealed he is now “on the better side” of his cancer treatment.

He spoke candidly to a former cancer patient during a visit with the Queen to celebrate Bradford’s status as the UK’s City of Culture.

The monarch has been receiving weekly treatment since he was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of the disease in early 2024.

Florist Safeena Khan said he gave her the “thumbs up” when she asked about his health, and told her: “I’d like to think I’m on the better side [of my cancer journey]”.

“He asked me how I was, and I asked him how he was. There were some pleasantries towards the end, but it was a lovely conversation.”

The King stepped up his workload at the start of the year, following positive progress with his treatment, which has continued despite a “bump in the road” when he was briefly admitted to hospital after experiencing temporary side effects in March.

On Friday (local time), the monarch was joined by his elder son for a service at Westminster Abbey, during which the Prince of Wales was installed as a Great Master of the Order of the Bath.

Prince William attended the service for the first time, having been appointed to the ancient order last year.

Meanwhile, the King took part for the first time as sovereign of the order, which is awarded to members of the military or civil service for exemplary work and this year celebrates its 300th anniversary.

Father and son, both dressed in the order’s billowing crimson satin robes, arrived at the Abbey’s Great West Door separately, shortly after 11am, to be greeted by the Very Reverend Dr David Hoyle, the Dean of Westminster.

Inside, the King greeted his son warmly, with an affectionate pat on his shoulder, before they enjoyed a brief, jovial conversation with the dean in the Chapel of Saint George.

They then walked in procession through the church with officers, knights and the dame grand cross of the order before taking their seats in the quire.

The King was accompanied by his young page, Guy Tryon, 10, the son of his godson, Lord Tryon, and the grandson of the late Lady Dale Tryon, an Australian socialite who enjoyed a close relationship with the King in his younger years.

The service was conducted by the dean, who read the lesson from St Paul’s epistle to the Philippians chapter 4, verses 4-8 and gave the address.

The service for the Order of the Bath takes place every four years, with the monarch traditionally attending on only every other occasion and the Prince of Wales, as Great Master, attending every service.

The King, as the Prince of Wales, last attended in May 2022. This year’s service was brought forward by a year to coincide with the 300th anniversary, meaning the next one will not take place until 2030.

The order consists of up to 120 knights and dames grand cross, 295 knights and dames commander and 1455 companions, in addition to the Sovereign and the Great Master.

It is the fourth most senior order of merit, after the Orders of the Garter, the Thistle, and of St Patrick.

The late Queen last attended the service in 2014, when, due to her frailty, the then Prince Charles stepped in to perform her duties by making the offering, a task that involved climbing steep wooden steps in full regalia.

King Charles will be flying to Canada for the opening of the Commonwealth country’s Parliament at the end of May and, after a busy summer period, will be hosting a state visit by Emmanuel Macron, France’s president, when the royal diary is normally winding down.