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Live Reporting
- Analysis
After four months away, the King returns to public duties
Sean Coughlan
BBC News royal correspondent
For King Charles, this must have been one of the longest stretches of his adult life without any public engagements.
Since he was a young man, as Prince of Wales before becoming King, he has had a regular round of royal visits, in what must sometimes seem like a loop tape of cars pulling up, cheering crowds and handshakes.
Except now people just hold up camera phones rather than cheer.
But with his cancer treatment, he’s been keeping away from public events and crowds. Apart from attending an Easter Sunday service this will be his biggest public appearance this year.
After four months away, he’s now back on the road.
Why the King’s been out of view
Copyright: PA Media
Back in February, Buckingham Palace announced that King Charles had been diagnosed with cancer, saying it was discovered during treatment for an enlarged prostate.
It was not revealed what type of cancer he has, but we were told that it’s not prostate cancer. We were also told that he would step back from some of his duties - and any public-facing ones would be picked up by his so-called Counsellors of State (royals who can stand in for the King at official engagements).
Those consist of the King’s wife, Queen Camilla, his son, the Prince of Wales, in addition to his siblings Princess Anne and Prince Edward.
He’s been receiving treatment for his cancer and on Friday a statement from the Palace said his medical team was "sufficiently pleased with the progress made so far”, meaning he could “resume a number of public-facing duties".
"It is too early to say" for how much longer his treatment will continue, the palace said, adding that the King was "greatly encouraged" to be going back to more public events.
Good morning and welcome
Johanna Chisholm
Live reporter
This morning we’ll see King Charles carry out his first official engagement since being diagnosed with cancer earlier this year.
When that news came in February, Buckingham Palace said the 75-year-old King would temporarily step back from public-facing engagements while continuing to conduct private meetings and complete official paperwork.
He’s been seen in public a couple of times since then - including after an Easter service at St George’s Chapel in Windsor - but this will be his first in an official capacity. We’re expecting to see the King visit a cancer treatment centre in London, alongside his wife, Queen Camilla, where he’ll meet staff and patients.
As ever, we’ll bring you text updates right here, plus analysis from our royal correspondent Sean Coughlan. You can stream BBC News video coverage by clicking the Play button at the top of this page.
