Buckingham Palace has never revealed details about King Charles’s cancer. Likewise, Kensington Palace has released very few details about the Princess of Wales’s cancer. We don’t know much of anything about what kind of cancers they have or what kind of treatments they’re undergoing. What I find most bizarre about this radio silence is that the royal reporters with the most access to royals and their staffers have not asked for more information, nor are they actually investigating the situation whatsoever. So, there’s an information vacuum and the American tabloids are stepping into that vacuum. In Touch Weekly ran another story about the Windsors and their sources are naming Charles’s cancer. Not only that, their sources are saying the prognosis is not good.
King Charles III has only been Britain’s reigning monarch for 18 months, yet his funeral plans are already set amid his battle with pancreatic cancer. Named “Operation Menai Bridge,” the monarch’s funeral processions will look similar to Queen Elizabeth II’s ceremonies, dubbed “Operation London Bridge.” As his cancer progresses, royal insiders tell In Touch that Charles’ final resting plans are of timely prioritization.
“It’s a fairly common thing to do among the British royalty, but in Charles’ case expediency is necessary,” says the source, who notes that “some courtiers believe Charles’ cancer is worse than they’re making it out to be.”
“Operation Menai Bridge” is set to include familiar protocols. When the monarch dies, Charles’ body will be moved from the throne room at Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall. He will lie in state, and his official funeral will take place nine days later. He will likely be buried in the royal vault at Windsor Castle.
“It will have all the pomp and circumstance befitting a British monarch,” adds the source.
The update comes shortly after a separate high ranking royal insider told In Touch that Charles is not only battling pancreatic cancer – a timely update given that he did not share what kind of cancer he was diagnosed with – but has a mere two years to live.
“King Charles is much sicker than the palace lets on and simply isn’t up to the job of running his fractious family, the crown’s business interests and fulfilling the daily duties of the monarchy,” the member of the royal inner circle revealed in early March. “His cancer is eating him alive. He’s very frail. The situation is desperate.”
With such an update, the future of the monarchy seems shaky at best, and even Queen Camilla is said to be frustrated by Charles’ declining health and weakened status.
“Behind the scenes, Camilla is disgusted by the king’s apparent weakness and is providing him little comfort as he battles his fatal cancer,” a palace courtier told In Touch in early March, highlighting her vacation from royal duties which started on March 4. “By going on holiday, she was thumbing her nose at stepson William, who is incapable of shouldering the monarchy’s burdens on his own.”
[From In Touch via Yahoo]
This comes after In Touch’s previous reporting that Charles is worried about “public relations disaster” Prince William, and how Charles doesn’t think William is up for the job. These stories came out before Charles made his big outing on Easter Sunday, where I honestly thought he looked somewhat perky. Of course, I also believe that Charles’s doctors probably gave him a shot of something – painkillers, etc – to get him out and about and looking so spry. Anyway, if it’s pancreatic cancer, that’s incredibly serious and I understand why it feels like there’s such a huge freakout happening behind the scenes. It also feels like that’s why so many royal commentators are soft-launching “Charles’s cancer is very serious, regardless of the positive energy from BP these days.”
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.