It would be an understatement to say that the royal family has had a stressful past few weeks, with the shock news of two separate health crises.

On January 16, Prince William’s wife Kate Middleton was hospitalized for a “planned” abdominal surgery and has since been recovering home.

She is not expected to return to public duties until after Easter, and William even reportedly cleared his schedule to care for her.

This was soon followed by the shock news that King Charles III had been diagnosed with an unspecified form of cancer and was undergoing treatment.

King Charles III’s health issues

The British monarchy faced a significant upheaval with the announcement of King Charles III’s cancer diagnosis. Buckingham Palace revealed on February 5 that the monarch had begun regular outpatient treatments after doctors discovered cancer during his treatment for an enlarged prostate.

While the specific type of cancer remains undisclosed, it has been confirmed that it is not prostate cancer. Despite the challenges ahead, the King expressed gratitude for the public’s support, stating (via USA Today) that he wanted to extend his “most heartfelt thanks for the many messages of support and good wishes.”

“As all those who have been affected by cancer will know, such kind thoughts are the greatest comfort and encouragement,” he continued.

Tension between King Charles and the Sussexes

This shock development comes over three years after Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, chose to step back from their royal duties and leave the UK. Their departure stemmed from feeling unsupported and unprotected by the royal institution and the British media.

Facing incessant scrutiny and criticism from the press, the couple’s mental health and well-being were significantly affected. Their decision to step back was met with resistance from the royal family, despite Harry proposing a compromise that would see the couple keep their royal jobs but split their time between the US and the UK.

In the couple’s Netflix documentary series, Harry & Meghan, series Meghan described their life within the royal family as being in a controlled bubble, saying that “I couldn’t even text my friends a photo.” Harry also spoke about how Meghan’s experience had been different from others in the family, so it had been unfair of them to expect her to have the same pressures.

During their explosive interview with Oprah Winfrey, the couple highlighted the lack of support from the royal family, particularly regarding negative press coverage. They also addressed instances of racism, with Meghan revealing discussions about Archie’s skin color before his birth.

Meghan explained that the racism she endured took a severe toll on her mental health, which eventually led to her having suicidal. She recalled how she told Harry she “just didn’t want to be alive anymore.”

Why Meghan didn’t visit Charles

Despite minimal communication with the royal family since moving from the UK to California, Prince Harry wasted no time in responding to his father’s cancer diagnosis. However, he made the journey alone, without Meghan and their children, Archie and Lilibet.

A photograph captured Harry’s solitary arrival in a black SUV at the gates of Clarence House, which is King Charles’ London residence. Meghan’s absence from the trip was seen as a deliberate choice, with Grant Harrold – who had served King Charles for seven years when the monarch had been the Prince of Wales – suggesting that she believed it was something Harry needed to do alone.

“Meghan made the decision that it was best to stay home with the children, and maybe she feels that this is something Harry has got to do alone,” Grant told the New York Post.

At the same time, royal commentator Angela Levin has stated that perhaps Meghan might not be pleased if Harry rebuilds his relationship with the King. “I don’t think that will happen because Megan will not let him,” she told GB News.

She continued: “I don’t think she will be pleased whatsoever. And he’s got this rock that he’s in, whether he upsets Megan or he upsets his father. I think it will be very unexpected if Harry now changes the way that he’s behaving, not just for 10 or 15 minutes with his father, but from now on.”