Charles III had been waiting to become king for more than 70 years. Seventeen months after his accession to the throne, the news of his cancer has thrown the British monarchy into uncertainty, reports AFP.

Charles III, 75, automatically succeeded his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, upon her death on September 8, 2022.

Crowned on May 6, 2023, he has since tried to give a more modern image to the monarchy, which he believes also wants to be more in tune with the times, a challenge for the very active but elderly king, less popular than his mother, whose mystery and history the size he lacks.

Some of his first visits were marked by anti-monarchist demonstrations unimaginable under Elizabeth II.

Tensions with his son Harry, who left the royal family to settle in California with his wife Meghan and who last year wrote a highly critical autobiography, The Substitute, have already cast a shadow over the first months of his reign.

Not agreeing with his father, Harry came to the coronation alone and stayed for a while.

Charles III announced last month that he would undergo surgery for benign prostatic hyperplasia, breaking the usual taboos surrounding the monarch’s health. It was after that intervention that the cancer was discovered, which was announced on Monday without further details.

Interest in the environment…

Charles remained crown prince until he was 73, pursuing multiple passions often overshadowed by the ups and downs of his private life.

At the age of 20, he was crowned Prince of Wales in a grand televised ceremony.

He went to Cambridge, where he studied anthropology, archeology and history, and as early as 1970 he expressed concern about environmental pollution and plastic waste in a speech that heralded his continuing interest in the future of the planet.

During this long wait, he became fascinated with the environment, sustainable development, alternative medicine, rural life and religion.

His personal life overshadowed his actions

For years, the media crisis in his private life overshadowed his actions.

His divorce from Princess Diana following the breakdown of the marriage in 1981 was widely publicized.

By her he had two sons: the heir William in 1982 and Harry in 1984.

Diana died in a car crash in Paris in 1997, a year after their 1996 divorce.

He had to wait many years before marrying the love of his life, Camilla, in 2005 in a civil ceremony at Windsor Town Hall. Queen Elizabeth did not arrive, but hosted a reception for the newlyweds.

Camilla, now Queen, was crowned on 6 May 2023 alongside Charles III.

His sons talked about their father, who worked very hard, sometimes falling asleep in the office at night.

Of course, Charles III does not like to be contradicted. It often flares up, sometimes due to normal pen leakage.

Impatient, “he wants everything done by yesterday,” Camille said of him.

But she also talked about a grandfather who reads Harry Potter to his grandchildren, imitating the characters’ voices.

Like his mother, who died in September 2022, Charles III vowed to serve until the end of his life.

According to polls, he remains less popular than Elizabeth II or her son William and lacks enthusiasm among young people.