Skip to main contentSkip to footer
King Charles reveals what has 'reduced' him to tears© Getty Images

King Charles reveals what has ‘reduced’ him to tears

His Majesty met with the UK prime minister on Feb. 21 at Buckingham Palace


FEBRUARY 22, 2024 12:20 PM EST

 King Charles III  has been moved by messages following his cancer diagnosis. His Majesty held an audience on Wednesday with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak during which the monarch, 75, revealed that he’s been “reduced” to tears by the messages and cards he’s received.

The King held an audience with the prime minister on Feb. 21© Getty Images
The King held an audience with the prime minister on Feb. 21

“Wonderful to see you looking so well,” the prime minister told the King, adding, “We’re all behind you. The country’s behind you.”

Charles shared that he’s “had so many wonderful messages and cards,” adding, “It’s reduced me to tears most of the time.”

The audience at Buckingham Palace marked the King’s first in-person meeting with the prime minister since the palace announced earlier this month that the monarch had been diagnosed with a form of cancer. The prime minister has previously said on BBC Radio 5 Live, “Obviously like everyone else, shocked and sad, and just all our thoughts are with him and his family. Thankfully, this has been caught early.” At the time, the prime minister also shared that he was “of course in regular contact” with the King.

His Majesty began treatment in London on Feb. 5. Less than a week after his cancer diagnosis was made public, King Charles released a thank you message that read: “I would like to express my most heartfelt thanks for the many messages of support and good wishes I have received in recent days. As all those who have been affected by cancer will know, such kind thoughts are the greatest comfort and encouragement.”

The monarch added, “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 organisations which support cancer patients and their families across the UK and wider world. My lifelong admiration for their tireless care and dedication is all the greater as a result of my own personal experience.”