Today was already going to be an emotionally loaded one for perhaps another reason—Prince William was officially named the Colonel-in-Chief of the Army Air Corps, a role that was expected to go to Prince Harry had he not stepped back as a working member of the royal family in 2020. (William’s appointment reportedly left Harry “in tears.”)
But while at the Army Aviation Centre in Middle Wallop, Hampshire, to officially confer the duties onto William, King Charles had an emotional chat about cancer treatment with a veteran, where he gave a glimpse into his treatment, The Sun reports. (After a routine prostate procedure in late January, the King announced that he had been diagnosed with cancer on February 5, the same day he began treatment; it’s unknown what specific type or stage of cancer he has been diagnosed with.)
Charles was talking with British Army veteran Aaron Mapplebeck, who underwent nine weeks of intensive chemotherapy last year for testicular cancer, The Sun reports, adding that the veteran “is now almost a year post-treatment.” The two men discussed side effects, as Mapplebeck mentioned experiencing a “loss of taste” during treatment; the King shared that he also experienced this side effect of treatment.
Charles and William were “seen beaming as they shared a touching embrace in front of the Apache in what was a symbolic passing of the baton,” The Sun reports of father and son standing in front of a helicopter, with Charles transferring a role he once held to his eldest son. “William, who flew with the Air Ambulance, will later take to the skies in the Apache,” the publication continues. In addition to formally handing over the Army Air Corps title to the next generation, the King met veterans and families and saw exhibits in the Army Flying Museum, including unveiling a plaque commemorating an Apache helicopter going on display at the museum.
During his remarks about William, Charles said “I do hope you’ll go from strength to strength in the future with the Prince of Wales as your new Colonel-in-Chief,” the King said. “The great thing is, he’s a very good pilot, indeed, so that’s encouraging.”
The King is slowly returning to in-person duties since being diagnosed in February, and is expected to carry out his first major investiture tomorrow, where, among others, the Archbishop of Canterbury—who last week asked the public to pray for the royal family amidst the drama and the multiple cancer diagnoses that have hit the family in 2024—will be recognized.
