King Charles is said to have had a “heart-to-heart” with his daughter-in-law the Princess of Wales the day before she announced that she is undergoing cancer treatment. According to The Sun, His Majesty, 75, traveled from London to Windsor for a private lunch with Catherine, 42, on Thursday.
The outlet reported that Her Royal Highness was “keen to speak” to her father-in-law, who was diagnosed with a form of cancer this year, about his “struggle and [to] find out how he was coping.” Per The Sun, it is believed that the duo also discussed the Princess’ video message, which was released on March 22.
“It is highly unusual for just the two of them to sit down together like this,” a source told The Sun. “The King had already been made aware that the woman he calls ‘my beloved daughter-in-law’ had cancer.”
The Princess of Wales (pictured in 2021) reportedly had a private lunch with King Charles the day before her video message was released
“They would have had lots to discuss and share because just weeks earlier the King had begun his course of treatment and dealt with announcing his diagnosis,” the source added. “The King left his lunch feeling very emotional. They are very close and he thinks of Catherine as his daughter. There is no doubt there is a lot they can share and can use each other for support during their own deeply personal cancer battles.”
The Princess’ video was filmed by BBC Studios on March 20 at Windsor. In her message, Catherine revealed that when she underwent her abdominal surgery in January, it was thought that her condition was non-cancerous, however tests after her operation found that cancer had been present, and she is now in the early stages of preventative chemotherapy treatment.
Following the release of the Princess’ video, a Buckingham Palace spokesperson said that His Majesty is “so proud of Catherine for her courage in speaking as she did.” The palace spokesperson also shared that after their time in the hospital, the King—who was at The London Clinic, like Catherine, for his own procedure in January—has “remained in the closest contact with his beloved daughter-in-law throughout the past weeks,” and that both Charles and Queen Camilla “will continue to offer their love and support to the whole family through this difficult time.”
The Prince and Princess of Wales are said to be “extremely moved” by the public’s support in the wake of Catherine’s announcement. On Saturday, a Kensington Palace spokesperson said, “The Prince and Princess are both enormously touched by the kind messages from people here in the UK, across the Commonwealth and around the world in response to Her Royal Highness’ message. They are extremely moved by the public’s warmth and support and are grateful for the understanding of their request for privacy at this time.”
