King Charles cancer diagnosis: What happens when a ruling monarch is ailing?

Buckingham Palace announced on Monday that King Charles III, the British monarch and the head of the state, is undergoing treatment for cancer.

While the King is expected to continue with the formal constitutional affairs of the state and his scheduled meetings, his public duties will take a backseat. A statement by the Palace said that he was receiving expert care and “looks forward to returning to full public duty as soon as possible”.

King Charles III was crowned in May 2023, in Britain’s biggest ceremonial event in the last seven decades, alongside his wife Queen Camilla. In a congregation of about 100 world leaders and 2,000 guests, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the spiritual leader of the Anglican Church, placed the 360-year-old St Edward’s Crown on Charles’ head as he sat upon a 14th-century throne in Westminster Abbey, according to a report by news agency Reuters.

King Charles III and Queen Camilla. (Pic source: Instagram/The Royal Family)

As King Charles gets treated for cancer, we take a look at how official duties are conducted when a monarch falls ill:

Firstly, what are the King’s duties?

1. The King is the United Kingdom’s head of state, though he remains politically neutral.
2. The King is responsible for formally dissolving a Parliament before a general election. He invites the elected party leader to the Buckingham Palace to form a government.
3. The King is tasked with beginning the Parliamentary year with the State Opening Ceremony, where he lays down the government’s plan in a speech delivered from his throne in the House of Lords.
4. He is also responsible for formally assenting to pieces of legislation, in order for them to become laws.
5. He also hosts visiting heads of state and meets foreign ambassadors.

How does the King’s duties change after diagnosis?

According to Buckingham Palace, a number of the King’s public endeavours would have to be rearranged. “Regrettably, a number of the King’s forthcoming public engagements will have to be rearranged or postponed.” “His Majesty would like to apologise to all those who may be disappointed or inconvenienced as a consequence,” the statement by Buckingham Palace said.

While the King is recovering, the Queen is expected to continue attending engagements. “Her Majesty will continue with a full programme of public duties,” Buckingham Palace said.

The Prince of Wales, Prince William. (Photo: Reuters)

Secondly, who will succeed King Charles III?

The order of succession determines who, among the Royal family members, would succeed the existing monarch if he dies or steps down from the position.

The next four people in the line of succession who are older than 21, are Prince William, Prince Harry, Prince Andrew and Princess Beatrice.

• Prince William: The eldest son of Charles and late Princess Diana, Prince William, became the Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall, after the death of Queen Elizabeth in September 2022. He is married to Catherine, Princess of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall and Cambridge. The couple has three children: Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
• Prince Harry: The younger son of Charles and Diana, and the Duke of Sussex, Prince Harry, relinquished his royal duties but continues to hold his place in line. Married to American actor Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, the couple has two kids: Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
• Prince Andrew: The Duke of York, Prince Andrew, is the second-eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. He also stepped down from his royal duties over sexual assault allegations following his television interview over his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
• Princess Beatrice: The elder daughter of Andrew and his former wife, the Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson, Princess Beatrice, falls next in the queue, according to The Associated Press.
• Princess Beatrice’s accession to the throne will be followed by Sienna Elizabeth, the daughter of Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi.
• Andrew and Ferguson’s younger daughter, Princess Eugenie, will follow Sienna Elizabeth.
• Born to Eugenie and James Brooksbank in February 2021, August Brooksbank will ascend the throne after Princess Eugenie. This will be followed by the couple’s younger child, Ernest Brooksbank, born in May 2023.
• The Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Edward, the Queen and Philip’s youngest child, falls next in the queue, according to AP.
• Moreover, James, Viscount Severn, son of Prince Edward and his wife Sophie, the Countess of Wessex falls last in the queue, says an AP report.

Although the line of succession is King Charles III, and his elder son Prince William, the senior royal women — Queen Camilla, Princess Anne and Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, will be the most visible in the coming days, Toronto-based royal author and historian Carolyn Harris said, Canadian media house CBC News reported.

Britain’s Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex  (AP Photo)

At the request of King Charles last fall, the pool of counsellors of state was expanded to include his sister, Princess Anne, and his brother, Prince Edward.

Where are Prince William, Princess Kate and Prince Harry?

King Charles’ son and daughter-in-law Prince William and the Princess of Wales, Catherine (popularly known as Kate), respectively, have been away from public duties after the latter underwent abdominal surgery in January 2024.

Prince William is expected to return to work this month. According to CBC News, he will “reward members of the public with special honours on the monarch’s behalf at an investiture in Windsor on Wednesday.” On that very day, William is expected to attend an annual fundraising gala for the London Air Ambulance in central London.

Britain’s Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge. (Photo: Reuters)

Princess Catherine returned to her home last week, after a “successful” operation and is making “good progress” in her recovery, a statement released by Kensington Palace said.

Since he stepped back from his official royal duties in 2020, Prince Harry has been living in California with his wife Meghan Markle. According to BBC News, he will travel to the UK to meet his ailing father in the coming days.

What happens if none of them are available to take up the duties?

According to Harris, “It no longer goes strictly down the line of succession as it did in the past because of the various scandals associated with Prince Harry and Prince Andrew and Prince Harry not [currently living] in the United Kingdom.”

In an interview, according to CBC News, Craig Prescott, a constitutional expert and lecturer in law at Royal Holloway, University of London said, “It’s relatively loose. All the legislation says is just that the King has decided, or the monarch has decided to delegate their functions.”

“There’s no sort of threshold of illness or anything. So it is in practice, I think it’s the King’s decision for counsellors of state … It can all be very flexible,” the Canadian media house quoted Prescott.

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