EXCLUSIVE: The late Queen could never have imagined what lay in store for her son Charles following his cancer diagnosis – as an expert explains why she’d have been dismayed

2024 has been a tough year for the royals, with King Charles and the Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses deeply distressing for the late Queen Elizabeth.

“It was a double whammy of bad news affecting two of those closest to her, so it would have upset her terribly had she still been alive,” royal commentator Duncan Larcombe tells OK!.

“She’d be proud of how they’ve managed things. The Queen’s ‘keep calm and carry on’ ethic lives on with the King, though his doctors might be worried about his lack of rest.”

Charles’ cancer was discovered less than a year after his coronation, during an unrelated procedure for an enlarged prostate. 

Chemotherapy treatment followed, which he later revealed caused the loss of his sense of taste.

“The Queen would have been dismayed because her son had really hit the ground running as King. He was enjoying lots of public walkabouts and handshakes, and everything was going well. Then the diagnosis came as a bolt from the blue and completely derailed everything,” says Duncan.

After returning to light duties in late April, Charles was out in force for June’s Trooping the Colour spectacular, also known as the King’s Birthday Parade. And though he may have looked a little older and more weary than usual, he still cut an imposing figure in full ceremonial uniform of the Irish Guards, for what was his biggest engagement since being diagnosed.

Much to the nation’s joy, he was also joined for the grand finale on the Buckingham Palace balcony by his “darling daughter-in-law” Kate, who was making her first official appearance in months after announcing she had cancer in March.

Wearing a stylish white dress by Jenny Packham and matching Philip Treacy hat, all eyes were on the smiling Princess as she stood between the monarch and her husband William, along with their impeccably behaved children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, who wore coordinating navy outfits.

The day before her long-awaited return, Kensington Palace had released a new portrait of Kate, alongside a statement in which she said she had been “blown away” by the depth of public support. She stressed that while she is still receiving treatment, she has been focusing on getting back to some kind of normality through activities that bring her “positivity” – including gentle work duties at home.

Being part of Trooping the Colour was no doubt a key target during Kate’s gradual recovery, and as former BBC royal reporter Jennie Bond told us at the time, “I think she’ll feel that this is another milestone on a difficult and lengthy journey – and that must give her a sense of achievement. She’s not out of the woods, but she is clearly on the right path.”

It seems Charles was also personally buoyed up by having the Princess with him on such an important day. “He was obviously thrilled to have Catherine alongside him. It’s probably the best birthday present of all,” Jennie added.

“It is also a signal that the monarchy is strong – something which is especially important, as it’s been a tough few months. But they are getting through it, side by side.”

Other family members who turned out for the King’s Birthday Parade included Queen Camilla, in a pale green silk crepe dress and coat by designer Anna Valentine, as well as the Duchess of Edinburgh in a pale yellow number, with her daughter Lady Louise Windsor at her side.

Many of the senior royals were directly involved in the parade, which featured over 1,400 soldiers, 400 musicians and 200 horses. As Colonel of the Welsh Guards, Prince William rode his horse Darby in his dapper scarlet tunic and bearskin cap, while the Duke of Edinburgh looked fully at ease in his new role as Colonel of the Scots Guards.

Despite having a few struggles with her unruly horse, Princess Anne put her equestrian skills to exemplary use as Colonel of the Blues and Royals. There was heavy rainfall during the ceremonial proceedings, but the clouds eventually parted and gave way to sunny skies in time for the magnificent RAF flypast, with the Red Arrows bringing the occasion to an end with their trail of glorious red, white and blue.

Although Kate’s attendance was undoubtedly the biggest talking point of this year’s Trooping the Colour, it seems such appearances may still be few and far between in the coming months.

As a highly sociable and hard-working member of the family, she has no doubt been immensely frustrated by her physical limitations, and royal author Duncan says the late Queen would have had huge compassion for the Princess’s predicament.

“Elizabeth would have had great sympathy for Kate, especially as a relatively young mother. Unfortunately, these days we almost expect this kind of thing for a 75-year-old like Charles, but we don’t really expect it for a fit and healthy 42-year-old.”

As a hands-on mum to George, Charlotte and Louis, the strain on Kate will have been significant, and in a video released in March, which told how she was undergoing preventative chemotherapy, she spoke of her and William’s desire to shield their children from the situation.

“William and I have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family,” she said. “As you can imagine, this has taken time. It has taken me time to recover from major surgery in order to start my treatment. But, most importantly, it has taken us time to explain everything to George, Charlotte and Louis in a way that is appropriate for them, and to reassure them that I am going to be OK.”

Duncan believes the Queen would have admired Kate’s composed display of resilience, adding, “I think she would have been tremendously proud of how she’s dealt with it, especially with such a brave video. We all worry about our kids and how they’re growing up, but when one of your jobs as a mother is to bring up a future king, the stakes couldn’t be higher.”

The two-minute clip also highlighted a different, more modern method of crisis communications for the royals. “It’s debatable whether Kate would have released a video like that in the days when there wasn’t wild speculation about her health,” Duncan suggests.

“There has been a transition which has been enforced by where we’re at with social media these days. It’s as if the Queen’s former mantra of ‘never complain, never explain’ has just become ‘never complain’, because there are times nowadays when the royal family do have to explain things.”

This comes in stark contrast to former times when, as the Queen’s own health was deteriorating, her preference was to say nothing publicly. “The Queen never really explained her time in hospital, and it was kept secret,” adds Duncan.

“Even now, we don’t officially know what the ultimate cause of her death was, or what it was about her health that finally gave way. This new generation of royals are far more open.”

As for any rallying messages of comfort the Queen may have given Charles and Kate had she still been with us, Duncan believes her words of wisdom would have been practical and to the point.

“Less was always more with the Queen, and I think in this case she would have given key words of support, while throwing a metaphorical blanket around them both. Her own mother, the Queen Mother, had breast cancer in the 1970s, so she would have been familiar with how cancer can be successfully treated. I’m sure she would have shared that spirit of optimism with them.”

As well as empathising with both Charles and Kate, the Queen would of course have been highly supportive of her grandson William, who she always shared a tight-knit bond. While studying at Eton, he would drop in to see her at Windsor Castle, where she would provide mentoring sessions over tea and cake to prepare him for his future role.

Speaking after she died in September 2022, the affection William held for his beloved “Granny” was abundantly clear. “I have had the benefit of the Queen’s wisdom and reassurance into my fifth decade,” he said.

“My wife has had 20 years of her guidance and support. My three children have got to spend holidays with her and create memories that will last their whole lives. She was by my side at my happiest moments. And she was by my side during the saddest days of my life. I knew this day would come, but it will be some time before the reality of life without Granny will truly feel real.”

Following such a challenging few months, Duncan says, “I’m sure the Queen would have been on hand to help William through what has been a horrendous year, with both his wife and his father going through the same kind of ordeal. He’s been under enormous pressure, and you can see he’s been torn between doing his public engagements and just being by Kate’s side and looking after the children.”

Despite such major upheaval striking the heart of the monarchy, it seems highly likely that Charles and Kate can each expect a groundswell of public affection and admiration when they finally resume normal service.

“There’s so much respect out there for Charles, and this will have boosted his reputation further and made him more relatable,” Duncan says. “And I think we can expect Kate’s position within the family to snowball once this is behind her, and for her popularity to reach an all-time high.”

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Source: USA Today