British monarch King Charles III has released his first message to the public after Buckingham Palace made an initial statement of his cancer diagnosis earlier this week.
The king said that he was grateful for the support of the public upon the palace's announcement.
"As all those who have been affected by cancer will know, such kind thoughts are the greatest comfort and encouragement," his statement read.
Charles is being treated for an unspecified form of cancer and is currently staying at Sandringham, the BBC reported.
King's Cancer Still Unknown
Medical staff who attended Charles detected the cancer while he was undergoing a separate procedure due to his enlarged prostate in late January. While the type of cancer was not disclosed, palace officials confirmed that it was not prostate cancer.
"It is equally heartening to hear how sharing my own diagnosis has helped promote public understanding and shine a light on the work of all those organizations which support cancer patients and their families across the UK and wider world," the king's message added. "My lifelong admiration for their tireless care and dedication is all the greater as a result of my own personal experience."
Charles stepped back from all public-facing duties while he was being treated for cancer, leaving Queen Camilla and Prince William to shoulder some of them in the meantime as William's wife, Princess Catherine, is also out of action until Easter after her own two-week hospital stay for scheduled abdominal surgery.
Additionally, Prince Harry flew from the UK to briefly visit Charles before he and Camilla went to Sandringham earlier this week.
Royal Reporter: Charles Revealing Diagnosis 'Pretty Personal'
BBC royal correspondent Jonny Dymond said that, while distinguishably different from his mother's approach, Charles's openness to tackle his cancer diagnosis was similar to Elizabeth II's playbook mantra of "I have to be seen to be believed," saying that revealing his diagnosis was "pretty personal" for the normally restrained standards of royal communication.
"Well, the King won't be seen any time soon, the whirlwind of engagements is paused for the moment. But he will be heard from," he added. "Not many people of his age have chosen to make their medical condition a global talking point. And the King goes out of his way to express his hope that his relative openness has served a purpose."
