King Charles’ cancer diagnosis has stirred somewhat of a quiet panic not only in the public but also within the palace wall, or so it seemed.
Buckingham Palace has maintained that the King has shown optimistic signs of recovery year after his diagnosis in February. Meanwhile, reports have also claimed that Prince William is also being prepared for his destined role.
While the general assumption is that the monarch’s health condition has triggered a chain of events in the royal household, the truth is actually different to the common perception.
The people I’ve spoken to have said that the succession planning, as they call it, began even before Charles’ diagnosis,” royal author Tom Quinn told Harper’s Bazaar. “I mean, he’s the oldest Prince of Wales to become king in history, so succession planning had begun before Charles came to the throne simply because of the age issue.”
Charles had no formal preparation when it came to learning how to be a monarch. “It’s always a role where you learn by example,” royal author Robert Hardman resonated.
Hence, William isn’t necessarily undergoing training for the top job, but “they’re preparing William by giving him more of the sort of work that Charles would do,” Quinn says, adding that “Obviously, the cancer diagnosis has made everything more urgent.”
Meanwhile, Christopher Andersen, author of many royal biographies including 2022’s The King: The Life of Charles III, said, “The palace is putting on a good front, but the situation, in reality, is still very fluid.” When it comes to the king, he adds, “It’s still touch-and-go.”
However, the concerns regarding his health have not silenced amid reassurances from the Palace.
As Charles wrapped his four-day state visit to Italy alongside wife Queen Camilla, the king had planted a tree.
He poignantly quipped, “Well, I do hope that I shall live long enough to see a little bit of growth in the tree.
