The King’s cancer treatment will continue into next year but is “moving in a positive direction”, Buckingham Palace sources have confirmed.
The monarch was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer in February and has undergone weekly treatment ever since, barring a brief pause during his visit to Australia.
While his treatment cycle will continue into 2025, aides insisted that there had been no change to his condition and that it was simply a case of maintaining “the very encouraging status quo”.
Both the King and Queen will be out and about in east London on Friday, when they will attend a reception at Waltham Forest Town Hall to celebrate community cohesion.
The King is planning to embark on a full programme of both UK and overseas engagements next year, with a visit to Auschwitz scheduled for Jan 27 to mark the 80th anniversary of the camp’s liberation.
He is also expected to visit Italy in the spring on behalf of the Government, with further trips planned for later in the year.
The town hall reception is to celebrate community cohesion – MINA KIM/REUTERS
The King was diagnosed with cancer after undergoing treatment for an enlarged prostate.
He was treated at the London Clinic at the same time as his daughter-in-law, the Princess of Wales, who had major abdominal surgery.
Both the King and the Princess were discharged from the hospital on Jan 29 – the monarch waving as he left via the front door while the Princess was spirited home unseen.
Both were said to be well, and their respective treatments were successful.
However, both would later face the devastating news that cancer had been found during or post-surgery.
Buckingham Palace announced on Feb 6 that the King had an undisclosed form of the disease.
He immediately began a course of regular treatment and public engagements were postponed on medical advice.
However, he remained “wholly positive” and continued working behind closed doors.
The King returned to public-facing events in late April and even managed a 10-day tour of Australia and Samoa in October, said to have been the “perfect tonic”.
A palace spokesman said “his treatment has been moving in a positive direction and as a managed condition the treatment cycle will continue into next year”.
“We’re now working on a pretty normal looking full overseas tour programme for next year, which is a high for us to end on, to know that we can be thinking in those terms.”