King Charles' Health Problems in 13 Clicks: All the Issues He Had Before His Cancer Diagnosis
King Charles was diagnosed with cancer following his prostate surgery.
Feb. 11 2024, Published 5:00 a.m. ET
King Charles Was Rushed to Hospital as a Child
King Charles was the longest-serving British heir apparent.
One of King Charles III's earliest issues occurred as a child. He revealed he was taken to Great Ormond Street Hospital to prevent his appendix from exploding at that time.
"I got here just in time before the thing exploded and was happily operated on and looked after by the nurses," he said of the hospital visit.
King Charles' 'Sausage Fingers'
He became an heir apparent when he was 3 years old.
King Charles' "sausage fingers" have gone viral several times over the past few years. Royal fans and even family members have expressed their fears as his fingers' appearance might be caused by a fluid build-up or a sign of other health conditions.
Still, the reigning monarch previously spoke about it in a letter to a friend after Prince William's birth.
"I can't tell you how excited and proud I am. He really does look surprisingly appetising and has sausage fingers just like mine," he wrote, per Howard Hodgson's biography Charles, The Man Who Will Be King.
King Charles has constantly joked about his fingers, but he never opened up about the cause of the condition.
King Charles Got Involved in a 1980 Polo Accident
King Charles ascended the throne at 73.
In 1980, King Charles sustained injuries after his horse threw him off and kicked him during a polo match at Windsor. He received six stitches after the accident.
He Lost His Voice in Another Polo Accident
King Charles III's diagnosis was announced on Monday.
He added another sporting injury under his belt when he lost his voice for 10 days after he was hit in the throat during a match. He regained his speech afterward.
King Charles Collapsed in 1980
King Charles decided to retire from playing polo when he was 57.
While participating in a game in Florida, King Charles collapsed and received a saline drip. While the public urged him to give up polo, he refused to do so and continued playing the sport after the incident.
More Polo Accidents Happened
King Charles played polo for more than 40 years.
King Charles got involved in more polo accidents after not giving up the sport.
In 1990, he broke his right arm after a fall during a polo match. The injury required him to undergo the same operation twice because one of the fractures left him in great pain after failing to heal.
Two years later, King Charles had a torn cartilage in his left knee before hurting himself again and triggering an old back injury.
His other polo injuries in the years thereafter included a broken rib in 1998 and a minor shoulder fracture in 2001.
He Had a Skiing Accident
King Charles was reportedly distressed when he was lifted off the slope at that time.
In 1988, King Charles lost a friend, Major Hugh Lindsay, when an avalanche occurred while skiing on a difficult slope on Gotschnagrat Mountain. According to Buckingham Palace, Lindsay and Patti Palmer-Tomkinson failed to take cover, leaving the latter with severe leg injuries.
Meanwhile, Lindsay was thrown 400 meters down by the avalanche and got buried in snow.
"As soon as the danger had passed, Prince Charles, the guide and a Swiss police officer, who was skiing with the party, raced back to help the victims, digging with their bare hands in the snow to reach them," BBC reported.
The victims were transported to a nearby hospital, where Lindsay was pronounced dead on arrival.
King Charles Had a Hernia Operation
King Charles' love for polo earned him the nickname' action man.'
King Charles underwent a routine hernia operation in 2003 at the private King Edward VII's Hospital in London. He greeted royal fans at that time and joked, "Hernia today, gone tomorrow," before leaving the medical facility.
King Charles Had a Non-Cancerous Growth Removed
King Charles' eldest son, Prince William, is the first in the line of succession.
The Clarence House spokesman said in May 2008 that King Charles underwent an operation to remove a non-cancerous growth from the side of his nose. He covered the mark using a small white bandage during a tree-planting ceremony days after the procedure.
The late Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth II underwent similar procedures in 1996 and 2003, respectively.
He Caught COVID-19 Twice
He will begin treatment and do "behind the scenes" duties from home.
King Charles caught COVID-19 not only once but twice.
He first tested positive for COVID-19 in March 2020 but only had mild symptoms. He self-isolated for seven days at the Balmoral Estate before resuming his duties.
He caught the virus again in February 2022, days after he and his wife, Queen Camilla, attended an event where top government officials were present.
King Charles Also Has Constant Neck and Back Pain
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Before becoming the king, he founded nearly 20 charities as the Prince of Wales.
King Charles' son Prince Harry wrote in his memoir, Spare, that the patriarch exercises at home to manage his "constant" neck and back pain. These problems are seemingly caused by the degenerative disc at the back of his spine, leaving him in pain.
To diminish it, he constantly embarks on his royal tours with a cushion. He also has a velvet cushion on his chair during state banquets at the Buckingham Palace.
King Charles Underwent Prostate Surgery
King Charles will continue signing paperwork and taking meetings from the comfort of the palace.
The Buckingham Palace issued a statement in January confirming that King Charles would undergo a medical procedure for his enlarged prostate.
"His Majesty's condition is benign, and he will attend hospital next week for a corrective procedure," the announcement continued. "The King's public engagements will be postponed for a short period of recuperation."
King Charles Was Diagnosed With Cancer
King Charles was spotted attending a Sunday church service a day before the cancer diagnosis announcement.
A week after he was discharged from the hospital, Buckingham Palace confirmed King Charles' cancer diagnosis, which was detected during his recent medical procedure.
"The King is grateful to his medical team for their swift intervention, which was made possible thanks to his recent hospital procedure," the Palace continued. "He remains wholly positive about his treatment and looks forward to returning to full public duty as soon as possible. His Majesty has chosen to share his diagnosis to prevent speculation and in the hope it may assist public understanding for all those around the world who are affected by cancer."
