As anyone who has had a family member undergo a health crisis knows, there’s not much that can bond a family closer together than a health scare. It’s certainly not the route to closeness that anyone wants to take, but it is certainly effective.
In light of that, it appears that Prince Harry will soon travel from his current home in the U.S. to his home country of the U.K. to visit his father, King Charles, who was diagnosed with cancer following a corrective procedure for a benign enlarged prostate 10 days ago. People reports that Harry will travel to London “in the coming days” to see his father, whose diagnosis was announced today. While the specific type and stage of Charles’ cancer is heretofore unknown, it has been reported that it is not prostate cancer, though the cancer was found during Charles’ prostate operation.
The outlet also reports that Charles told both of his sons, Harry and Prince William, about his diagnosis personally, before news broke around the world. Charles also personally informed his siblings Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, and Prince Edward.
The King began treatments for cancer today, the same day his diagnosis was announced. He returned to London from Sandringham, where he will undergo outpatient treatment.
It has been a wildly tumultuous month for the royal family and health scares—on January 17, news broke that both the Princess of Wales had undergone abdominal surgery the day prior, and that the King would undergo the corrective prostate procedure the next week (the procedure ultimately took place on January 26). Then, on January 21, it was announced that Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, had been diagnosed with skin cancer—malignant melanoma—just months after beating breast cancer. On January 29, both Charles and Kate were discharged from The London Clinic, and today’s news of the King’s cancer and current treatment for it has left anyone invested in the royal family’s heads spinning.
As Harry plans to fly to the U.K., People further reports that William “is in close contact” with his father. (We probably don’t have to tell you that) In recent years, there has been contention between Harry and the rest of the royal family, specifically Charles and William; hopefully, this shocking news will allow all parties to mend fences, realizing how truly important family really is. It is unknown whether Harry’s wife Meghan Markle and children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet will travel with the Duke of Sussex to the U.K. imminently.
“Harry is coming back," former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond told Sky News (per The Independent). "I mean, maybe that’s a blessing in disguise. Maybe finally, finally, his father’s illness will bring a reconciliation that we have all been talking about for what seems like forever.”
