Lionel Richie Just Gave an Positive Update on King Charles' Cancer: 'He Is Doing Fantastic'
Updates on King Charles’ health following his cancer diagnosis have been sporadic, but we just got a positive one from none other than music legend Lionel Richie.
“Happily I can say, he is doing fantastic,” Richie told People at the King’s Trust Global Gala on May 2, just days after Charles returned to public duties. “Again, I understand, he needs to sit still,” Richie continued, likely alluding to the King’s absence from the inaugural gala. “The most important part is he is doing well. He’s back to his duties and so therefore, I wouldn’t want the first thing for him to do is come over — let’s not prove anything here.”
Richie is the King’s Trust Global Ambassador and Chairman of the Global Ambassadors Group and also performed at the King’s coronation in May 2023. He told People at the time that it was “an honor” to perform at the ceremony, and that he’d known Charles “for a long time.”
“I really do celebrate his now stepping into the king role,” he said.
Buckingham Palace announced Charles’ unspecified cancer diagnosis in February, following a “corrective procedure” for an enlarged prostate the previous month. He began a “schedule of regular treatments” on Feb. 5 and temporarily postponed his public duties. The Palace’s statement at the time noted that Charles was “wholly positive about his treatment” and chose to share the diagnosis “to prevent speculation and in the hope it may assist public understanding for all those around the world who are affected by cancer.”
Charles’ return to public duties came on April 30, when the King and his wife, Queen Camilla, visited the University College Hospital Macmillan Cancer Centre. The couple wanted to “mark the milestone” return by meeting with medical specialists and patients, per a Palace Instagram post. Next up, the royal couple will host the emperor and empress of Japan in June.
With the schedule just starting to fill up again, Richie’s update confirms that the King is firmly focused on the present and future. The “All Night Long” singer even made a prediction this week: “After I finish [the gala] tonight, I’m gonna get that call saying, ‘Well, how was it?'” he joked.
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