King Charles Reportedly ‘Frustrated’ Amid Cancer Treatment

King Charles is feeling frustrated by the limitations that his cancer diagnosis and treatment have brought on, according to his nephew, Peter Phillips. The 46-year-old shared an update on the king’s recovery in an interview on Sky News Australia‘s The Royal Report, saying Charles is in “good spirits” despite being “frustrated” at the amount he’s able to do at the moment.

“I think, ultimately, he’s hugely frustrated. He’s frustrated that he can’t get on and do everything that he wants to be able to do,” Phillips, who is the son of Princess Anne and her first husband Mark Phillips, said about King Charles, 75. “But he is very pragmatic [and] he understands that there’s a period of time that he really needs to focus on himself.”

“He is always pushing, his staff and everybody and his doctors and nurses, to be able to say, ‘Actually, can I do this? Can I do that?‘” Phillips continued. “So the overriding message would be that he’s obviously very keen to get back to a form of normality.”

“And he’s probably frustrated that recovery is taking a little longer than probably he would want it to,” King Charles’ nephew said.

Buckingham Palace first announced the king’s cancer diagnosis on Feb. 5, shortly after he was admitted to the hospital in London for treatment for an enlarged prostate on Jan. 26. Details about his type of cancer and subsequent treatment have not been disclosed.

Phillips’ interview took place in Australia before Kate Middleton announced her own cancer diagnosis in a video message on Friday. In it, the Princess of Wales, 42, shared that she is currently undergoing preventative chemotherapy after tests following her planned abdominal surgery in January “found cancer had been present.”

“This, of course, came as a huge shock, and William and I have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family,” Middleton said in the video. She and Prince William share Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5.

“We hope that you will understand that, as a family, we now need some time, space and privacy while I complete my treatment. My work has always brought me a deep sense of joy and I look forward to being back when I am able, but for now I must focus on making a full recovery,” she said.