EXCLUSIVE: Cancer-Stricken King Charles 'Refusing Chemo' and 'Drowning His Sorrows in Booze'

King Charles recently stunned a group of veterans by joking, "Keep drinking the whisky," as he offered health advice to a 101-year-old war hero during a royal visit.

The 76-year-old monarch made the quip to Richard Brock, a D-Day veteran, while touring Lancashire in his role as Duke of Lancaster, and RadarOnline.com can reveal his quip was a hint at his sad reality – as the cancer-hit monarch is now resisting and refusing his grueling chemotherapy treatments while hitting the bottle to drown his sorrows.

Charles was in Lancashire to take part in the historic ceremony of the keys at Lancaster Castle, a tradition dating back to 1851.

Later, during a reception inside the castle, he met Brock, who served with the East Lancashire Regiment during World War II. The two shared a brief exchange about aging and resilience.

Brock told reporters: "He just told me I was amazing for my age."

His son, Tony Brock, 72, added: "He mentioned a nip of whisky and said to keep taking it."

Our source said: "This seemed like a light-hearted joke from Charles, but it hides a darker reality.

"Charles has been resisting going to his chemo sessions and turning them down at times.

"He's also been hitting the whisky himself – big-time. Both things have prompted stern warnings from his medical team and wife Camilla – but no-one can tell Charles anything, even his wife.

"He does things his way, whatever the consequences. He is also tired of putting a brave face on his cancer fight."

The monarch's comment comes amid swirling speculation over his ongoing cancer treatment and increasing reliance on alternative therapies.

Charles, who was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer last year, has chosen a route that aligns with his life-long passion for organic living – one that reportedly includes cannabis, vegetables, and skipping chemotherapy.

A senior royal insider told us: "Charles is now on two things – vegetables and medically-approved cannabis to treat his anxiety and pain. He believes it's part of the way he will beat his disease alongside more conventional care, though he's said to be skeptical of chemotherapy."

The king appeared to hint at his unconventional approach to treatment during a recent Buckingham Palace garden party, attended by 7,000 guests.

There, he was seen chatting with Stamford Collis, a 22-year-old cancer patient and international relations student at Exeter University.

"He was asking me about the treatment I have starting in June and spoke to me about food and diet," Collis said. "He also asked me if I had undergone radiation treatment, which I had earlier this year."

According to Collis, Charles said: "It's sometimes about the diet and what you eat. It can help."

This remark, coupled with whispers from within the palace, has fueled speculation Charles is turning to more natural remedies to prolong his life and manage his condition.

A source close to the royal household said: "It fits right in with his love of holistic therapies and wellness. At the very least, he wants it to help him hold onto his throne for as long as possible."

The same source claims the king is even cultivating cannabis at his Gloucestershire residence, Highgrove House.

"He's been tending a little crop of cannabis in one of the greenhouses," they said. "It's nothing too large – he's not opening a dispensary – but it’s for personal medicinal use."

The monarch's fondness for gardening and sustainable living is well-documented, and he has long championed organic farming through his Duchy Originals food brand.

Now, insiders say he's expanding that ethos to fight illness.

"Charles has always led a very healthy lifestyle and so he has been particularly angered and irked by his cancer diagnosis," a palace aide said. "But he’s a very open-minded chap and doesn't shut himself off to any form of cure or pain relief."