King Charles III and Queen Camilla leave Clarence House in London on Tuesday.

King Charles III and Queen Camilla leave Clarence House in London on Tuesday.Credit:PA

Charles was pictured for the first time leaving Clarence House for Sandringham,wearing a purple tie and dark suit,smiling and waving from his car to people gathered near Buckingham Palace with Camilla seated beside him.

Little is known about the type of cancer the King has,but the palace said it was discovered when he was being treated for a benign enlarged prostate at the London Clinic last month.

Harry,the Duke of Sussex,who has barely spoken with his father or brother,Prince William,since he and his family left Britain for the United States three years ago,flew from Los Angeles to London’s Heathrow overnight,landing at about 12.30pm (London time).

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Travelling without his wife Meghan,the Duchess of Sussex,and children Archie,four,and Lilibet,two,Harry was earlier whisked out of the airport in a Range Rover,accompanied by a marked police escort,and driven straight to Clarence House in central London,where his father has been recovering from his first bout of cancer treatment on Monday.

He was photographed being driven into the gates of his father’s residence at about 2.45pm,and they spent time together behind closed doors before the King returned to Sandringham,his rural Norfolk residence,by helicopter.

The pair had not seen each other since the King’s coronation in May last year,when they were not thought to have spent any notable time together. Harry is understood to have booked a flight as soon as his father personally called him to tell him of his cancer diagnosis.

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The Times reported a palace source said the meeting lasted about 30 minutes because the King was tired from a procedure the previous day. They added:“If you didn’t know what was the matter,you wouldn’t have any idea that he had any condition at all”. Both the King and Queen were “coping magnificently”.

Harry is unlikely to have made any plans to see his brother,the Prince of Wales,with whom he has not spoken for months following several explosive media interviews after Harry’s memoirSpare and a Netflix series.

A convoy of cars believed to be carrying Prince Harry arrive at Clarence House on Tuesday.

A convoy of cars believed to be carrying Prince Harry arrive at Clarence House on Tuesday.Credit:PA via AP

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told the BBC he was “shocked and sad” at the King’s cancer diagnosis,but that he was “hoping and praying” for a full recovery. He insisted the monarch would “crack on” with his constitutional role.

“All our thoughts are with him and his family,” Sunak said. “Thankfully,this has been caught early and now everyone will be wishing that he gets the treatment that he needs and makes a full recovery,and that’s what we’re all hoping and praying for.”

In the statement released by the palace on Monday,a spokesperson said the King felt “wholly positive” about his treatment and would “continue to undertake state business and official paperwork as usual”.

The monarch has already started a schedule of regular treatments and is said to be receiving expert medical care from a specialist team. No date has yet been set for his return to full public duties,but he is expected to only take on essential constitutional tasks for some months.

The palace has indicated that at this stage there will be no need for the King to rely on other members of the royal family to fulfil his duties as head of state. The present nominated counsellors who can legally fulfil his duties are the Queen;William;Prince Edward,the Duke of Edinburgh;Anne,the Princess Royal;Prince Andrew,the Duke of York;Harry,and Princess Beatrice.

However,the royal household has said that as non-working royals Andrew,Harry and Beatrice would not be called upon to step into the role.

Former royal press secretary Simon Lewis said Charles’ openness about his cancer diagnosis contrasted significantly with how the news of his grandfather’s ill health was handled. George VI died on February 6,1952 – 72 years ago – which led to the accession of his daughter,Elizabeth II.

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Lewis said Charles’ openness about his cancer diagnosis had been his “style” as a new monarch.

“I think 20 years ago we would have got a very abrupt,short,statement,and that’s about it,” he told the BBC.

“And I think they’ve gone as far as they possibly can given that the King has had a diagnosis of cancer and,as a lot of people know,processing that is a pretty tough process.” Lewis said it was “not so much the crisis itself,it’s how you handle the crisis” that defines it.

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