In a personal video statement the 77-year-old monarch said his improvement is due to “early diagnosis”, “effective intervention” and following “doctors’ orders”.
Celebrating his “milestone” and “personal blessing” he spoke of hope his cancer news “may give encouragement” to other patients.
Last night, a Buckingham Palace spokesman said the King “has responded exceptionally well to treatment” and that reducing treatment means it is set to move “a precautionary phase”.
Charles also used his cancer update to urge people across the UK to take advantage of a new national online Screening Checker while speaking on Channel 4’s Stand Up To Cancer evening of programmes.
He told viewers: “Early diagnosis quite simply saves lives.”
Wearing a Stand Up To Cancer lapel badge, he added: “This December, as we gather to reflect on the year past, I pray that we can each pledge, as part of our resolutions for the year ahead, to play our part in helping to catch cancer early.
“Your life – or the life of someone you love – may depend upon it.”
Charles, 77, chose to reveal his diagnosis in February 2024, and after a few months recovering, returned to frontline duty.
However, he was taken to hospital eight-months ago suffering side-effects from the treatment and forced to cancel a string of official engagements.
He has received regular cancer treatment for almost two years and aides have insisted it has been moving in a positive direction.
But in his recorded address, he went further by saying: “Today I am able to share with you the good news that thanks to early diagnosis, effective intervention and adherence to ‘doctors’ orders’, my own schedule of cancer treatment can be reduced in the New Year.
“This milestone is both a personal blessing and a testimony to the remarkable advances that have been made in cancer care in recent years; testimony that I hope may give encouragement to the fifty per cent of us who will be diagnosed with the illness at some point in our lives.”
The King’s type of cancer remains private as does the form of treatment which he had been undergoing.
Although the treatment is being reduced a timescale has not been revealed and its length will be determined by his medical team.
But unlike the Princess of Wales, his cancer is not in remission, it is understood.
A Buckingham Palace spokesman said: “His Majesty has responded exceptionally well to treatment and his doctors advise that ongoing measures will now move into a precautionary phase.
“This position will be continuously monitored and reviewed to protect and prioritise his continued recovery. As The King has said, this milestone on his recovery journey is ‘a great personal blessing’.”
The online Screening Checker set up by Cancer Research UK encourages screening and early diagnosis for breast, bowel and cervical cancer.
Sources close to the King, who is patron of Cancer Research UK, add that nothing should be read into the three cancers the screening covers.
In the five minute video recorded at Clarence House last month the King asked viewers to find a “special place in your hearts, and your minds and prayers” for those coping with cancer and their families.
He said: “I know from my own experience that a cancer diagnosis can feel overwhelming.
“Yet I also know that early detection is the key that can transform treatment journeys, giving invaluable time to medical teams – and, to their patients, the precious gift of hope.
“These are gifts we can all help deliver.
“Throughout my own cancer journey, I have been profoundly moved by what I can only call the “community of care” that surrounds every cancer patient – the specialists, the nurses, researchers and volunteers who work tirelessly to save and improve lives.”
He described the fact that nine million people are not up to date with cancer screening is something that “troubles me deeply”
He said: “That is at least nine million opportunities for early diagnosis being missed.”
Charles described “stark” health data that shows nine in ten people survive for at least five years if bowel cancer is caught early while it falls to one in ten when diagnosed late.
Praising the screening programme he added: “Early diagnosis quite simply saves lives.
“Now, I have heard this message repeatedly during my visits to cancer centres across the country. I know, too, what a difference it has made in my own case, enabling me to continue leading a full and active life, even while undergoing treatment.”
Speaking to people worried about getting checked out, he said: “Yet too often, I am told, people avoid screening because they imagine it may be frightening, embarrassing or uncomfortable.
“If and when they do finally take up their invitation, they are glad they took part.
“A few moments of minor inconvenience are a small price to pay for the reassurance that comes for most people when they are either told they don’t need further tests, or, for some, are given the chance to enable early detection, with the life-saving intervention that can follow.”
Charles said he was “encouraged” to learn about the online cancer screening which was developed by Cancer Research UK.
The online tool allows everyone in the UK to check if they are eligible on the NHS or Public Health Agency Northern Ireland for breast, bowel or cervical cancer screening.
Celebrating the online tool, he said: “It demystifies the process, answers your questions, and guides you towards taking that crucial step.
“As I have observed before, the darkest moments of illness can be illuminated by the greatest compassion. But compassion must be paired with action.
Finishing his message to the nation, Charles said: “Therefore, this brings my most heartfelt thanks to the doctors, nurses, researchers and charity workers involved in diagnosis and treatment programmes, together with my particular good wishes to those for whom they care so selflessly.”
It was aired at 8pm during Channel 4‘s Stand Up To Cancer special, ahead of Davina McCall hosting a live broadcast from a cancer clinic at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge as part of the Stand Up To Cancer evening of shows.
Prime Minster Sir Keir Starmer hailed the speech and echoed Charles’ call for early screening.
“A powerful message from His Majesty The King,” he penned on X.
“I know I speak for the entire country when I say how glad I am that his cancer treatment will be reduced in the new year.
“Early cancer screening saves lives.”
It is understood Charles is grateful to those caring for patients and thanked his medical team while he was treated despite a busy work schedule.
And sources close to the King continue to celebrate remarkable advances in cancer treatment.
A palace spokesman said: “As The King says in his message, he sends his particular good wishes to all those affected by cancer and will continue to hold them and their loved ones in his thoughts and prayers.”
“The King has taken great comfort and encouragement from being able to continue leading a full and active life throughout his treatment, while always heeding the advice of his medical team.
“His ability to uphold all of his State duties, and to continue with public engagements and overseas tours, has helped greatly with the positive mindset that, as many families will know, is such a vital part of the recovery journey.”
Charles has chosen to continue to keep the type of cancer he has private.
And despite specifically referencing bowel cancer it is firmly understood not to be a hint towards his diagnosis.
A spokesman said: “The advice from cancer experts is that, in his determination to support the whole cancer community, it is preferable that His Majesty does not address his own specific condition but rather speaks to those affected by all forms of the disease.”
Despite the cancer intervention, it is not the first time the monarch has veered into public health advice.
The late Queen urged people to get vaccinated from Covid-19 and described her jab saying “it didn’t hurt at all” in February 2021 at the height of the pandemic.
A palace spokesman said: “In sharing some details of his treatment journey, His Majesty has been greatly encouraged by the outpouring of support both from the medical community and from members of the public – especially those affected by cancer.
“They have often been kind enough to express how The King’s example has helped to improve public understanding, to encourage conversations around difficult topics, to destigmatise the treatment journey, and to educate those at risk about the importance of early diagnosis.
“When His Majesty was approached about the possibility of lending support to the launch of a new online screening tool, which carries the backing of Cancer Research UK for whom he is Royal Patron, he was therefore happy to assist.
“This seemed a fitting moment to provide a brief update on the positive trajectory of his own continued recovery.’
Stand Up To Cancer is a joint initiative from Cancer Research UK and Channel 4 launched in 2012 and raised more than £113million funding 73 clinical trials involving 13,000 patients.
The new online Screening Checker lets people check which procedures they are eligible.
Michelle Mitchell, Chief Executive of Cancer Research UK, said: “We’re incredibly grateful to our patron, His Majesty The King, for supporting this year’s Stand Up To Cancer – a long-standing partnership between Cancer Research UK and Channel 4 to speed up progress in life-saving cancer research and raise awareness of signs and symptoms.
“We know that when public figures speak openly about their cancer diagnosis, it can prompt others to check in on their health and speak to a GP if something is worrying them.
“We wish His Majesty well with his continued recovery. A focus for this year’s Stand Up To Cancer is highlighting the screening programmes available.
“Spotting cancer early can make a real difference and provides the best chance for successful treatment. With over nine million people in the UK not up to date with their cancer screening, our new Screening Checker guides users through their eligibility for breast, bowel, or cervical screening.
“Taking just a few minutes to check could be an important step towards taking charge of your health.”
The Princess of Wales revealed she had also been diagnosed with cancer several weeks after the King’s bombshell news last year.
But she revealed in January that her cancer was in remission.
BUCKINGHAM Palace says King Charles’ cancer treatment is continuing but doctors are encouraged by his progress and plan to reduce its intensity in the New Year.
While the specifics remain undisclosed, and rightly remain private, the update is optimistic — a reassuring sign for the many families who understand the long, step-by-step nature of recovery.
Cancers behave differently, with some growing slowly and others more aggressively.
Each is treated according to its type and how far it may have spread.
Chemotherapy — essentially, rounds of drugs designed to kill off tumours — is given in cycles.
The first stages are typically more intense to try to get the disease under control fast.
If the patient responds well, the doctors may switch to a maintenance phase which can mean lighter doses of drugs or fewer sessions.
In some cases it can be paused with monitoring, scans and check-ups.
