The King's cancer treatment will continue until next year but is “in a positive direction”, Buckingham Palace sources have confirmed.
The monarch was diagnosed with an unknown form of cancer in February and has been receiving weekly treatment since, apart from a short break during his visit to Australia.
Although his treatment cycle will continue until 2025, aides insisted there had been no change in his condition and that it was simply a matter of maintaining “the very encouraging status quo”.
Both the King and Queen will be out and about in east London on Friday, where they will attend a reception at Waltham Forest Town Hall to celebrate community cohesion.
The King plans to embark on a full program of both British and foreign activities next year, with a visit to Auschwitz planned for January 27 to mark the 80th anniversary of the camp's liberation.
He is also expected to visit Italy on behalf of the government in the spring, with more trips expected later this year.
The City Hall reception aims to celebrate community cohesion – MINA KIM/REUTERS
The king was diagnosed with cancer after undergoing treatment for an enlarged prostate.
He was treated at the London Clinic at the same time as his daughter-in-law, the Princess of Wales, who underwent major abdominal surgery.
Both the king and princess were discharged from hospital on January 29 – the monarch waved as he left through the front door while the princess was taken home unseen.
Both were said to be doing well, and their respective treatments were successful.
However, both would later have to deal with the devastating news that cancer had been found during or after the operation.
Buckingham Palace announced on February 6 that the king had an undisclosed form of the disease.
He immediately started regular treatment and public appointments were postponed on medical advice.
However, he remained “completely positive” and continued to work behind closed doors.
The king returned to public events in late April and even managed a ten-day tour of Australia and Samoa in October, said to be the “perfect tonic”.
A palace spokesperson said: “his treatment is progressing in a positive direction and as a managed condition the treatment cycle will continue next year.”
“We're now working on a fairly normal looking full overseas tour program for next year, which is a high point for us to end on, to know that we can think in those terms.”
