Peter Phillips Says Uncle King Charles Is ‘Frustrated’ Amid Cancer Battle

Peter Phillips, nephew of King Charles III, said his uncle has been “frustrated” with his ongoing cancer battle.

“He’s in good spirits,” Phillips, 46, said of the Monarch, 75, in an interview with Sky News Australia on Sunday, March 24. “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. But he is very pragmatic, [and] he understands that there’s a period of time that he really needs to focus on himself.”

Phillips is the only son of Princess Anne and her first husband, Captain Mark Phillips, and he is the first grandchild of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip.

“He is always pushing, his staff and everybody and his doctors and nurses, to be able to say, ‘Actually come on, you know, can I do this? Can I do that?’” Phillips said of his uncle. “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' Relationship With Daughter-in-Law Kate Through the Years 

Buckingham Palace confirmed in February that Charles had been diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer. Specific details on the type of cancer have not yet been disclosed, though Royal expert Omid Scobie reported Charles’ diagnosis is not prostate cancer.

The king stepped back from the full scope of his duties at the time, with Queen Camilla stepping in for his recent public appearances.

“They would obviously love to see as many people as possible,” Phillips continued. “They are very keen and very active to be able to, you know, be seen and meet as many people as possible from all walks of life.”

One month after Charles’ cancer diagnosis, Princess Kate Middleton announced that she, too, had been diagnosed with the disease and was in the early stages of chemotherapy treatment. “Kate went in for abdominal surgery and then they found out she had cancer,” a source exclusively told Us Weekly on Friday, March 22.

Kate Middleton and More Royals Who Were Diagnosed With Cancer

In her Friday statement, the Princess of Wales, 42, said her diagnosis “came as a huge shock,” but she was “getting stronger every day.” Charles subsequently released a statement in support of his daughter-in-law.

“His Majesty is so proud of Catherine for her courage and speaking as she did. Following their time in hospital together, His Majesty has remained in the closest contact with his beloved daughter-in-law throughout the past weeks,” Charles said in a statement regarding Kate’s diagnosis on Friday. “Both their Majesties will continue to offer their love and support to the whole family throughout this difficult time.”