'The Palace Can't Hide This Anymore': Major Health Panic Explodes Over 'Frail' King Charles — 'A Man Fighting Something Bigger Than He's Letting on'
Public concern grows after new photos show King Charles III appearing thin, pale and frail.
Oct. 12 2025, Published 5:30 p.m. ET
New images of King Charles III have sparked a wave of concern across Britain — and a scramble inside Buckingham Palace — after the monarch appeared noticeably frail during a joint appearance with Prince William at London's COP30 climate summit, RadarOnline.com can report.
The 76-year-old King, who has been undergoing cancer treatment since early this year, appeared significantly thinner and paler than in previous public outings.
Buckingham Palace insists the King is 'doing well' and continuing 'light duties'.
"His suit was hanging off him," one insider told #ShuterScoop. "He looked like a man fighting something bigger than he's letting on."
Although palace officials maintain that the King is "doing well" and "continuing light duties", senior royal aides privately acknowledge that the images have caused alarm behind the scenes. "The optics are impossible to spin," one source admitted.
The 76-year-old monarch was diagnosed with cancer.
King Charles's diagnosis, confirmed earlier this year, has already limited his public schedule. Insiders now suggest that his health challenges may be taking a visible toll. "They're quietly preparing William to step up — fast," one senior courtier revealed. "The illusion of perfect health is collapsing."
While official statements from Buckingham Palace remain upbeat, long-time royal observers are less convinced. "You can't Photoshop frailty," said one palace watcher. "What we're seeing is the reality behind the crown — a monarch in decline."
King Charles resumed duties in April 2024, but palace sources say his treatment is still ongoing.
The King followed doctors' advice to postpone public engagements for three months after beginning treatment but continued state business privately. He resumed forward duties in April 2024, and palace sources said before Christmas that his treatment would continue into this year.
On September 3, during a visit to Midland Metropolitan University Hospital in Smethwick, the King gave a rare personal update while speaking with cancer patient Matthew Shinda, 73. "I'm not too bad," the monarch told him when asked about his recovery.
The BBC reported that Shinda, who is receiving prostate cancer treatment, discussed diagnostic delays with the King.
"I'm very sorry about that, it's so frustrating," Charles replied, adding, "Half the problem is detecting it, isn't it, in time." Later, he said, "The great thing, I think, is they're getting better and better at dealing with these things. The trouble is there's always hope down the road."
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Royal sources claim preparations are underway for Prince William to 'step up'.
The King also shared a lighter moment with 85-year-old Jacqueline Page in the hospital's acute elderly care ward. When she told him she was "wearing out," he quipped, "I know, this is the terrible thing, as I am discovering already. The bits don't work so well when you get past 70."
King Charles will turn 77 in November, nearly two years after Buckingham Palace announced his cancer diagnosis and the start of his ongoing treatment.
