King Charles’ Cancer Diagnosis Caught Palace Insiders Off Guard [Video]

King Charles’ shocking cancer crisis is this week’s PEOPLE cover story. An exclusive extract follows below.

On Feb. 4, the royal family used their social media to highlight World Cancer Day, showing photos of Queen Camilla at a new cancer support center in the U.K. That same morning, King Charles, 75, accompanied by Camilla, 76, attended a morning service at St. Mary Magdalene Church near their country retreat in Sandringham.

The monarch, still recovering from his Jan. 26 operation for a benign enlarged prostate, cheerfully waved to well-wishers, offering no hint of the impending announcement that would shake the world just a day later: Charles has cancer, the palace revealed in a 138-word statement that concluded, “His Majesty has chosen to share his diagnosis to prevent speculation and in the hope it may assist public understanding for all those around the world who are affected by cancer.”

Although the statement offered few details, …