A new report claims those closest to King Charles believe he is more ill than previously announced. Charles was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year and remains under a doctor’s care. However, sources claim he is “really unwell.”

Those closest to King Charles claim he is ‘determined’ to regain his health

The Daily Beast royalist correspondent Tom Sykes shared details surrounding King Charles’ health. His sources claim the king is “determined” to regain the vitality he enjoyed before a January 2024 cancer diagnosis.

Sykes’ royal sources say of the king’s current health, “it’s not good.” The author claims to have spoken to friends of those within the royal circle who expressed their concern about Charles’s well-being.

“Of course, he is determined to beat it, and they throw everything at it. Everyone is staying optimistic, but he is really very unwell. More than they are letting on,” claims an “old friend of the family” to The Daily Beast. Sykes validates this comment by stating this same source shared correct information regarding Queen Elizabeth’s cancer battle in the months before her death.

As King Charles battles cancer, preparations are ongoing for his death; is this unusual?

It is not unusual for preparations for a monarch’s death to begin once they are in the ruling role. It is standard within the royal family to have a plan in place for mourning and the transition of power.

The Daily Beast reports that plans are ongoing for operation “Menai Bridge.” This is the code word for King Charles’s funeral plans.

Preparations for a monarch’s funeral are typical once a monarch rises to power. They are a part of the ongoing details their position incurs.

“From the moment the queen became monarch, the planning process about what would happen when she died started,” said professor Philip Murphy to The New York Times. Ongoing planning meetings between the palace, government, police, and military officials are the norm.

Subsequently, royal author Christopher Anderson told The Daily Beast, “King Charles’ reign will by definition be short, but it’s anyone’s guess at this time just how short. In the meantime, the tried-and-true practice of revising funeral plans should not be used to make that determination.”

Anderson continued, “What would be enormously helpful is for the palace to be transparent about the king’s condition and prognosis. Until that happens, gossip and speculation will continue to swirl, and conspiracy theories will abound.”

Royal expert Tina Brown, who authored The Diana Chronicles and The Palace Papers, shared her opinion regarding Kate Middleton and Prince William’s position in an editorial for The New York Times. Brown believes the couple are closer to the throne than anyone expected.

Kate’s health challenges compound this burden. She was diagnosed with an undisclosed type of cancer and revealed via social media that she was undergoing a course of treatment.

“The almost simultaneous news of Charles’s cancer has put William and Catherine in frightening proximity to ascending the throne just when they had hoped for years to parent their children out of the public eye,” Brown claims. “The prospect of it, I am told, is causing them intense anxiety.”

Brown concludes, “Catherine is battling more — much more — than cancer. A tidal wave of premature responsibility crashes in her and William’s direction. Frozen, unready, and with Catherine now seriously unwell, the Prince and Princess of Wales await the awesome burden of the crown.”

King Charles has not disclosed the type of cancer he is being treated for. Speculation surrounding his death remains so.