Prince Harry Breaks Silence on King Charles III's Cancer Diagnosis

Prince Harry is opening up about visiting his dad King Charles III amid his cancer diagnosis: "I love my family."

By Kisha Forde Feb 16, 2024 1:03 PMTags
Watch: Prince Harry Breaks Silence on King Charles III’s Cancer Diagnosis

Prince Harry is detailing his support for King Charles III amid his health battle.

Nearly two weeks after Buckingham Palace shared the monarch has been diagnosed with cancer, the Duke of Sussex—who has been estranged from the royal family—opened up about visiting his dad.

"I jumped on a plane and went to go see him as soon as I could," Harry told Good Morning America Feb. 16. "I love my family. The fact that I was able to get on a plane and go and see him and spend any time with him, I'm grateful for that."

The 39-year-old also agreed that his father's condition could have a "reunifying effect" on his family.

"Throughout all these families I see it on a day-to-day basis the strength of the family unit coming together," Harry, who spoke to the outlet on the site of next year's Invictus Games in Whistler, Canada, added. "I think any illness, any sickness brings families together."

When asked about the King's current condition, Harry declined to disclose further details, noting, "That stays between me and him."

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King Charles III's Road to the Throne

The insight from the Duke of Sussex comes just days after the monarch himself spoke out about his diagnosis, sharing his gratitude for the outpouring of support and well wishes.

"I would like to express my most heartfelt thanks for the many messages of support and good wishes I have received in recent days," King Charles wrote, as seen in a post shared on the Royal family's Instagram page Feb. 10. "As all those who have been affected by cancer will know, such kind thoughts are the greatest comfort and encouragement."

Samir Hussein/WireImage

The monarch continued, "It is equally heartening to hear how sharing my own diagnosis has helped promote public understanding and shine a light on the work of all those organizations which support cancer patients and their families across the U.K. and wider world. My lifelong admiration for their tireless care and dedication is all the greater as a result of my own personal experience."

Harry's brother Prince William has also spoken out previously to thank everyone for the support they've received amid the respective health struggles that both his dad and wife Kate Middleton, who is recovering after having abdominal surgery, are facing.

"I'd like to take this opportunity to say thank you also for the kind messages of support for Catherine and for my father, especially in recent days," William shared during the London's Air Ambulance Charity Gala Dinner on Feb. 7. "It means a great deal to us all."

He jokingly added, "It's fair to say the past few weeks have had a rather 'medical' focus, so I thought I'd come to an air ambulance function to get away from it all."

As for the Princess of Wales, in addition to noting that Kate would be continuing her recovery at home in Windsor after being released from the hospital in late January, the Palace added that she is "making good progress."

Keep reading to find out more news about the royal family.

Returning to Public Duties

On April 26, nearly three months after sharing his cancer diagnosis, Buckingham Palace announced that Charles will return to public-facing duties

Queen Camilla Attends Royal Maundy Service

The queen consort attended the Royal Maundy Service on March 28 in place of King Charles III, making her the first spouse of the Monarch to continue the ancient tradition.

Kate Middleton Shares Cancer Diagnosis

In a March 22 video message, the Princess of Wales shared that she'd been diagnosed with cancer after undergoing abdominal surgery in January.

"It was thought that my condition was non-cancerous. The surgery was successful," she said before noting that tests after the operation found cancer had been present. "My medical team therefore advised that I should undergo a course of preventative chemotherapy and I am now in the early stages of that treatment."

Kate Middleton Apologizes for Edited Family Photo Controversy

After photo agencies pulled the picture Kensington Palace shared of Kate since having her abdominal surgery on March 10, the Princess of Wales addressed claims the photo was doctored. 

"Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing," she tweeted on March 11. "I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused. I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother's Day. C."

Lady Kitty Spencer Privately Welcomes Baby

Princess Diana's niece celebrated Mother's Day in the U.K. by sharing she and her husband Michael Lewis privately welcomed their first baby.

“It’s the joy of my life to be your mummy, little one. I love you unconditionally," she captioned her March 10 Instagram post. "Happy Mother’s Day to those who celebrate today."

Queen Camilla Takes a Break

After keeping up her full slate of engagements in the wake of her husband's cancer diagnosis, the palace cleared Camilla's schedule.

The Times pointed out March 2 that the 76-year-old didn't have any engagements on her calendar until March 11, when she'd be due at Westminster Abbey to observe Commonwealth Day.

Thomas Kensington Dies at 45

The husband of Lady Gabriella Windsor and ex-boyfriend of Pippa Middleton, was found dead Feb. 25. Days later, a coroner's inquest found that he died by suicide.

King Charles Diagnosed With Cancer

While King Charles III was in the hospital for his benign prostate enlargement procedure, the royal family member was diagnosed with cancer.

"His Majesty has today commenced a schedule of regular treatments, during which time he has been advised by doctors to postpone public-facing duties," Buckingham Palace said Feb. 5. "Throughout this period, His Majesty will continue to undertake State business and official paperwork as usual.The King is grateful to his medical team for their swift intervention, which was made possible thanks to his recent hospital procedure. He remains wholly positive about his treatment and looks forward to returning to full public duty as soon as possible."

Sarah Ferguson Is Diagnosed With a Second Type of Cancer

The Duchess of York's rep said in a statement on Jan. 21 that Sarah was recently diagnosed with malignant melanoma, an aggressive form of skin cancer. Several months prior, she underwent a single mastectomy to treat breast cancer.

Queen Margrethe II of Denmark Abdicates the Throne

On Jan. 14, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark made history as she officially abdicated the throne, handing the crown over to her son, now known as King Frederik the 10th

Kate Middleton Is Hospitalized

Kensington Palace announced on Jan. 17 that Kate Middleton underwent planned abdominal surgery and was set to remain in the hospital for 10 to 14 days.

"Based on the current medical advice," the Palace said, "she is unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter."

Prince William Adjusting His Schedule

Amid Kate's recovery, Prince William postponed a number of engagements as he supported his family, including the couple's three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

King Charles III Undergoing Treatment

Shortly after Kate's hospitalization was made public, Buckingham Palace shared that Charles "has sought treatment for an enlarged prostate."

"His Majesty's condition is benign and he will attend hospital next week for a corrective procedure," the statement added. "The King’s public engagements will be postponed for a short period of recuperation."

Luxembourg Welcomes a New Baby

Princess Claire and Prince Felix of Luxembourg welcomed son Balthazar Felix Karl on Jan. 7, the first royal baby of the New Year!

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