Nine months after his coronation, King Charles III was diagnosed with cancer discovered during a recent prostate operation. His state of health will keep him away from public life for a period of time that remains unknown.
Aside from official trips and public representations, the 75-year-old sovereign should, for the time being, continue to manage certain affairs where he will be in charge at home, according to the British press. The monarch should therefore “take care of state affairs and administrative tasks as usual,” assures the palace.
The king will keep certain roles
He should notably ensure weekly meetings with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, the latter assured that he communicated “with him, as usual”. According to the British press, the king still receives, every morning, the famous “red box” containing documents from United Kingdom ministers, representatives of the Commonwealth and other countries.
According to Australian media outlet Nine News, the king is expected to continue opening new sessions of Parliament. But also the approval of decrees and proclamations by the Privy Council, the body responsible for advising the king on his official decisions, such as the publication of decrees in Council.
The British monarch can also hold video conferences, as the Queen did during the pandemic. On the BBC, journalist Robert Hardman, author of numerous biographies on the royal family, explains that “the day-to-day functioning of the monarchy will not change”. Another specialist in the monarchy, Stéphane Bern is also reassuring. “We will have information regularly,” he says at the microphone of Europe 1.