EXCLUSIVE: Royal Fans Deeply Concerned for King Charles After Monarch's 'Unsteady' Appearance in Late Queen's 100th Birthday Tribute Video — Cancer Is 'Obviously Taking Its Toll'
Fans feared for cancer-stricken King Charles after they thought he didn't look well in a new video.
April 22 2026, Published 6:30 p.m. ET
Royal fans are bracing for the worst for ailing King Charles III, after the cancer-stricken monarch appeared exhausted and “unsteady” in a video tribute marking what would have been his late mother Queen Elizabeth II’s 100th birthday, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The 77-year-old monarch has been battling the disease for more than two years, and has a four-day state visit to the U.S. very soon.
'God Bless You, Darling Mama'
The tribute video included a shot of the queen's second to last Buckingham Palace balcony appearance.
Charles made no mention of his own health battle in the video released on The Royal Family's social media channels on April 21.
"My family and I pause to reflect on the life and loss of a sovereign who meant so much to us all and to celebrate anew the many blessings of her memory," the king began, while his eyes looked bleary and heavy.
Charles appeared on screen for much of the video, which was interspersed with highlights from his mother's life, including a long shot of the queen during one of her final Buckingham Palace balcony appearances at Trooping the Color in June 2022, alongside the other working members of the royal family.
Elizabeth died on September 8, 2022, at the age of 96.
The king reiterated his "own solemn pledge of duty and service to you all," while striving "together towards a better, happier tomorrow, one rooted in peace, justice, prosperity, and security."
Charles signed off, "God bless you, darling Mama. You remain forever in our hearts and prayers."
'The King Does Not Look Well'
Royal fans claimed it appeared Charles' cancer treatments were 'taking a toll.'
Following the tribute, fans on Reddit worried about the monarch's appearance.
"This is such a lovely message. Unfortunately, the King does not look well IMHO," one user wrote.
"He has aged a great deal, which is understandable. It's not clear how harsh his treatments are or how bad the cancer is at this point, but it must be taking its toll," a second person commented.
"Charles looks terrible. Sorry. He does," a third person noted, and a fourth user observed, "He looks unsteady, and he had a hard time reading the script."
King Charles Still Undergoing Cancer Treaments
The monarch announced he was able to scale back on his level of cancer treatments in December 2025.
Charles announced his cancer diagnosis in February 2024, after undergoing surgery for an enlarged prostate the month prior.
The monarch stepped back for several months to receive treatments before cautiously returning to public duties. He remains locked in an ongoing health battle, with his form of cancer reportedly incurable and something he is expected to live with for the rest of his days.
However, Charles shared uplifting news in December 2025. Thanks to "early diagnosis, effective intervention and adherence to doctors’ orders," he would be scaling back on the necessary cancer treatments.
“This milestone is both a personal blessing and a testimony to the remarkable advances that have been made in cancer care,” the king announced in a televised message.
Charles is now in a "precautionary phase," and Buckingham Palace said the king would be "continuously monitored and reviewed to protect and prioritize his continued recovery."
The King Will Keep 'Living With Cancer'
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King Charles' cancer is reportedly incurable but manageable.
But royal biographer Robert Jobson believed the palace "overhyped" the king's reduced treatments.
"I think that the palace was overemphasizing the good news, and even the press spokespeople were saying, 'Oh, this is good news,'" he claimed during an April 8 appearance on The Royalist podcast.
"The king is living with cancer," Jobson continued, while hinting that there's no chance of remission. "He will live with cancer. There's not any prospect of anything other than living with cancer. "
