LONDON, April  26, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - British head of state King Charles III
will make a limited return to public duties next week, after doctors said they
were "very encouraged" by the progress of his treatment for cancer.

His first engagement with Queen Camilla would be to a cancer treatment
centre on Tuesday. The couple will also host Emperor Naruhito and Empress
Masako of Japan for a state visit in June.

The announcement follows a difficult spell for the royal family after both
Charles, 75, and his 42-year-old daughter-in-law Catherine, Princess of Wales,
revealed that they had cancer.

Catherine, the wife of heir to the throne Prince William, made the shock
announcement that she was undergoing preventative chemotherapy just over a
month ago in a video posted to social media.

Announcing Charles's limited return, a Buckingham Palace spokesperson said
it was "too early to say" how much longer his treatment would continue.

But they noted that his medical team were "very encouraged by the progress
made so far and remain positive about the king's continued recovery".

"The pacing of the king's programme will be carefully calibrated as his
recovery continues, in close consultation with his medical team," the
spokesperson added.

The king and Queen Camilla will host the Japanese royal couple at
Buckingham Palace in late June, the palace said, confirming reports in the
Japanese media last month.

The Japanese royals both attended the state funeral of Charles's mother,
Queen Elizabeth II, in September 2022, in their first overseas trip after the
emperor's enthronement.

They also attended the reception the king hosted at Buckingham Palace the
evening before the funeral for heads of state and official overseas guests.
An earlier state visit which had been planned for early 2020 had to be
postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

- 'Deeply touched' -

Neither Charles nor Catherine has disclosed the exact type of cancer they
are suffering from.

Charles was just 17 months into his reign when the palace announced in
early February that he had cancer and would be pausing all public-facing
engagements as he began treatment.

He had been admitted for surgery for a benign prostate condition in
January, which saw him spend several days in hospital.

The king has continued with behind-the-scenes work and holding some
in-person meetings and increasingly attending official events.

He made his most high-profile appearance over the Easter weekend, attending
a Sunday church service at Windsor Castle, west of London.

"His Majesty is greatly encouraged to be resuming some public-facing duties
and very grateful to his medical team for their continued care and expertise,"
the palace spokesperson said.

Charles said in March that he would continue to serve "to the best of my
ability", and he had been "deeply touched" by people's wishes for his health.

Kate, as Catherine is widely known, has been receiving treatment for a
cancer discovered following abdominal surgery that was announced in January.

Having both Charles and Kate simultaneously fight serious illness has
created an unprecedented crisis in modern times for the British monarchy, with
a lack of senior royals available for public duties.

The family would previously have been able to rely on Prince Harry -- the
king's younger son -- to help out, but he and his American wife Meghan quit the
royal front line in 2020.

They now live in California and have been largely estranged from the family
following an acrimonious split.

The visit by Japan's royals will be the couple's second international
goodwill visit abroad since the Emperor's enthronement. They visited Indonesia
last year.

Japanese media reports last month said the couple may visit the University
of Oxford, where they both studied at different times.

The couple is also expected to have a luncheon with British Prime Minister
Rishi Sunak and his wife, Akshata Murty, according to the reports.