King Charles sends message to Biden following cancer diagnosis
Charles, who is himself receiving treatment for an unspecified type of cancer, sent the personal note over the weekend.
Buckingham Palace confirmed on Monday that King Charles III has reached out to former U.S. President Joe Biden with a message of support following Biden's recent cancer diagnosis.
Charles, who is himself receiving treatment for an unspecified type of cancer, sent the personal note over the weekend, offering his heartfelt wishes after news broke of Biden’s condition.
The 82-year-old former president was diagnosed on Friday with a Gleason score of nine, suggesting a particularly aggressive form of prostate cancer, according to a statement from his office.
Reports indicate that the cancer has spread to Joe Biden’s bones, though it remains hormone-sensitive, meaning it can still be treated.
"Despite its aggressive nature, the cancer’s hormone sensitivity provides a path for effective treatment," his office noted in the statement.
On Monday, Biden made his first social media appearance since the news broke, expressing gratitude for the outpouring of support from the public.
"Cancer touches us all," he wrote.
"Like so many of you, Jill and I have learned that we are strongest in the broken places. Thank you for lifting us up with love and support."
King Charles III and Joe Biden have shared several engagements in recent years.
In 2022, Biden traveled to the UK for Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral and had previously met Charles, then Prince of Wales, at the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow in 2021.
Their most recent in-person meeting took place in July 2023, when Biden joined the King for tea at Windsor Castle.
A Buckingham Palace spokesperson described the encounter as "extremely cordial."
Following the King's cancer diagnosis in 2024, Biden expressed concern, telling reporters, "I’m concerned about him. Just heard about his diagnosis. I’ll be talking to him, God willing."
He later shared a message on social media, saying: “Navigating a cancer diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship takes hope and absolute courage.”
King Charles, who has kept most details of his illness private, offered a rare update last week while speaking with a former patient during a visit to Bradford, saying he hoped to be on the "better side" of his treatment.
Prostate cancer remains the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men across both the United States and the UK. Its severity is measured using the Gleason score, with higher numbers signaling a more aggressive form of the disease.
