King Charles Shared a Heartfelt Statement About His Treatment With Cancer Patients in the U.K.

After a months-long hiatus, King Philip marked his return to his royal duties with a deeply personal first engagement. The monarch – who is currently undergoing treatment for cancer – visited a London cancer center on Tuesday, April 30, his first public-facing event since announcing his diagnosis in February. With Queen Camilla by his side, the King met with both patients and staff about the latest cancer research being conducted at the hospital and the importance of early detection – and he shared an emotional update about how he was doing in the midst of his own treatment.

The 75-year-old royal reportedly told patients at the Macmillan Cancer Centre at the University College Hospital London that he was heading to his next round of treatment after the engagement, according to multiple news outlets. When asked about his own cancer experience by fellow patients, the father-of-two got candid, reportedly sharing, “It’s always a bit of a shock, isn’t it, when they tell you?”

The King seemed to be in high spirits at his first royal engagement since February, telling another patient, “I’m all right, thank you very much. Not too bad,” when asked how he was feeling that day, per Hello Magazine.

ITV royals reporter Chris Ship later noted on X (formerly Twitter) that King Charles took the time to personally ask people about their own experiences with cancer. “Many patients said afterward they felt a personal connection with him as he understands what they had been through and are still going through,” he wrote.

King Charles’s appearance at the London center is the first of many events he has planned over the coming weeks. While many hope he and Prince Harry will have another reunion in London when the Duke of Sussex returns to the U.K. for the Invictus Games, The Telegraph reported that chances are slim due to the monarch’s packed schedule.