Queen Camilla Gives Emphatic Update on King Charles’ Health Amid Cancer Battle

Queen Camilla isn’t sugarcoating her opinion on the condition of King Charles III’s health as he continues undergoing outpatient treatment for cancer.

Over the weekend, the queen shared another update regarding her husband’s battle with an unspecified type of cancer. And just like the last time she spoke about the king’s health, Camilla shared the new insight with equal parts hope and sass.

On Saturday, June 8, the queen reportedly told novelist Lee Child, who appeared at the second annual Queen’s Reading Room Festival at Hampton Court Palace in Surrey, that His Majesty is “doing fine except he won’t slow down and won’t do what he’s told,” per a recent Sky News report.

While it’s seemingly apparent that Camilla would have preferred the 75-year-old monarch to have taken more time off before returning to his royal duties earlier this spring, it’s more than evident that Charles has plans to continue catering to his responsibilities as a working royal.

Late last week, the royal couple attended the U.K.’s national commemorative event marking the 80th anniversary of the D-Day Landings. During the emotional June 5 event, Camilla was photographed with tears in her eyes as she sat next to the king during the poignant occasion.

This Saturday, June 15, the royals will be present at another big occasion–but in light of Charles’ cancer battle, one of the traditions has been tweaked to keep the king more comfortable.

Trooping the Colour, the King’s annual birthday parade, is set to take place in London at the end of the week. Instead of arriving on horseback, Buckingham Palace confirmed that Charles would be riding in a carriage instead.

While several other members of the royal family will be at the weekend event, Kate Middleton is not one of them.

The Princess of Wales has already apologized for her absence, noting that she’s very proud “of the entire regiment ahead of the Colonel’s Review and Trooping of the Colour” and that “I appreciate everyone trooping this year has been practicing for months, and dedicating many hours to ensuring their uniforms and drill are immaculate.”