British monarch King Charles III. (75) sought not only medical care but apparently spiritual support after a cancer diagnosis. That's how he ran into his good friend, a Greek Orthodox monk, amid the shocking news he received at the beginning of the month. He sought a conversation with Archimandrite Ephraim, 67, as he disclosed to Greek media, according to The Telegraph.
According to the cleric, he was contacted by the monarch, with whom he has a “very good relationship”: “True, we have been in touch since the diagnosis and I firmly believe that he will overcome this. Charles has a spiritual experience, a spiritual life.
The two men have had a close friendship for over two decades, ever since Charles made several visits to Archimandrite Ephraim's Vatopedi monastery on Mount Athos in Greece. Eight of these visits have been reported so far, so Charles already has a personal space there.
King Charles retires after being diagnosed with cancer
King Charles has withdrawn from public appearances for the time being, but despite the cancer diagnosis, he continues to carry out his duties behind the scenes: last week, for example, he had his first personal audience with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, 43. It was the resumption of weekly meetings between the two, where the monarch and head of government traditionally discuss British government affairs.
On 5 February 2024, the Royal Family announced that Charles was suffering from a “form of cancer”. What exactly the illness was was not reported. The cancer was discovered during tests during a hospital stay in London. Charles underwent prostate surgery. But it's not prostate cancer, the royal family made it clear.