King Charles Vows to Serve 'to the Best of My Ability' in New Video Address amid Cancer Treatment

King Charles is thanking people across the world for their good wishes amid his cancer treatment.

The King, 75, recorded a special message as representatives from 56 nations gather in London on the eve of Commonwealth Day.

"I have been most deeply touched by your wonderfully kind and thoughtful good wishes for my health and, in return, can only continue to serve you, to the best of my ability, throughout the Commonwealth,” King Charles says.

The address will be played at the annual Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey on Monday. It is the 75^th anniversary of the Commonwealth – the family of nations, most of which were linked to the U.K. through the British empire. As well as the U.K., Charles is King of 14 of the nations, including Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

The monarch, who is undergoing cancer treatment and has canceled most public duties, will be represented at the service on Monday by his wife, Queen Camilla, while Prince William and other members of the royal family will also be there.

Unlike last year, Kate Middleton won’t be part of the contingent. The Princess of Wales, 42, continues her private recovery following abdominal surgery in January, and Kensington Palace said she was “unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter.”

The event will celebrate the global network of 56 countries with the 2024 theme “One Resilient Common Future: Transforming our Commonwealth," and 2,000 guests are expected to attend. 

In his address, which will be played at the service on Monday, King Charles makes the link with his own lifetime, as he is as old as the institution.

"It warms my heart to reflect on the way the Commonwealth has been a constant throughout my own life – a precious source of strength, inspiration and pride," he says.

Urging people to “work together to understand each other’s perspectives, including the inequalities and injustices which still resonate to this day,” he adds that “our diversity is our greatest strength.”

King Charles says in his address, “The Commonwealth represents a third of humanity, from all regions of the world, with all the different experiences, knowledge, and aspirations that this brings. Wherever we live, we are united by the many challenges we face — whether it be climate change, the loss of nature or the social and economic changes that new technologies are bringing.”

“Our diversity means that these challenges affect us all differently and that we experience their impacts in different ways," he says. "Their seriousness, however, is common to each one of us.”

The monarch reflects on the different journeys the more than 50 nations have taken since the beginning of the Commonwealth in 1949. "Last year, The Bahamas celebrated its 50th anniversary of Independence, as Grenada has this year, and Papua New Guinea will next year. Each of these milestones — and many others like them — represent the fulfillment of countless aspirations and the achievement of such remarkable potential.”

“And the Commonwealth’s growth, with new members continuing to join our family of nations, demonstrates clearly that whilst we may not all have a shared history, we have common ambitions for a better future – working together to build resilience and respond to global challenges," he says.

The King adds, "The Commonwealth family is strongest when we are connected, through friendship. As I have said before, the Commonwealth is like the wiring of a house, and its people, our energy and our ideas are the current that runs through those wires. Together and individually, we are strengthened by sharing perspectives and experiences, and by offering and borrowing the myriad ways we have each tackled the challenges of our time. This is true both at the level of nations and, indeed, at the local level."

King Charles’ virtual participation in the Commonwealth Day Service this week aligns with the latest guidance around his health. On Feb. 5, Buckingham Palace announced that the King was diagnosed with cancer and was advised by his doctors to postpone public-facing duties while receiving treatment. The palace said the diagnosis came after a “separate issue of concern” was noted during the monarch’s treatment for benign prostate enlargement in January, though a spokesman confirmed it is not prostate cancer.

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Last week, King Charles held audiences at Buckingham Palace, including one with the U.K. finance chief, Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt, and another via video link with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada.