US President Joe Biden said he was “concerned” about King Charles III's cancer diagnosis, as foreign leaders wished the UK monarch a swift recovery.
Well-wishers have gathered outside Buckingham Palace in central London after the diagnosis as world leaders passed on their own good will messages.
Mr Biden, the Democrat leader who is six years older than the king, was asked by reporters whether he had a message for King Charles during a visit to Las Vegas.
“I’m concerned about him. Just heard about his diagnosis,” he said.
“I’ll be talking to him, God willing.”
Mr Biden later tweeted: “Navigating a cancer diagnosis, treatment and survivorship takes hope and absolute courage.
“Jill and I join the people of the United Kingdom in praying that His Majesty experiences a swift and full recovery.”
The leaders of a number of Commonwealth countries sent messages to London, including Australia, the Bahamas and Barbados.
Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has wished King Charles a swift recovery.
“Australians know that His Majesty King Charles has always reached out to us in our country’s toughest moments, showing kindness and care for those doing it tough,” Mr Albanese wrote on X.
“All of us are thinking of him and his family in this very hard time.
“We wish him well for a speedy recovery.”
The leaders of a number of Commonwealth countries sent messages to London, including Australia, the Bahamas and Barbados.
Bahamas Prime Minister Philip Davis said the king was “shining a light on “a challenge faced by many around the world”.
New Zealand's Prime Minister Christopher Luxon offered his best wishes using the Maori phrase “kia kaha King Charles” – stay strong King Charles.
Mia Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados, offered her “best wishes to Queen Camilla and the rest of the royal family”.
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September marked King Charles III's first year as British monarch, here The National looks back at the past 12 months. All photos: Getty Images -
King Charles delivers his address to the nation from Buckingham Palace following the death of Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday, September 8, 2022 -
King Charles and Queen Camilla walk across the forecourt of Buckingham Palace, London, as he enters the palace for the first time as the new King in September 2022 -
King Charles during his first audience with Prime Minister Liz Truss at Buckingham Palace in September 2022 -
King Charles speaks during his proclamation as king during the accession council in London in September 2022 -
King Charles and Queen Camilla take part in an address in Westminster Hall in September 2022 -
King Charles, Prince Edward, Princess Anne, and Prince Andrew hold a vigil at St Giles' Cathedral, in honour of Queen Elizabeth in Edinburgh in September 2022 -
King Charles follows behind the coffin of Queen Elizabeth as it is carried out of Westminster Abbey after her state funeral in September 2022 -
King Charles drives past Wellington Arch during the funeral -
King Charles shakes hands with a boy as he visits Aberdeen Town House to meet families who have settled in Aberdeen from Afghanistan, Syria and Ukraine in October 2022 -
King Charles welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government in October 2022 -
King Charles reacts after an egg was thrown in his direction in York during a ceremony at Micklegate Bar where, traditionally, The Sovereign is welcomed to the city, in November 2022 -
King Charles speaks with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Stella McCartney and US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry during a reception at Buckingham Palace ahead of the Cop27 Summit in November 2022 -
King Charles plants a lime tree in the Buckingham Palace garden for the Queen's Green Canopy ahead of the Cop 27 Summit in November 2022 -
King Charles unveils a statue of Queen Elizabeth outside York Minster in November 2022 -
King Charles attends the Remembrance Sunday ceremony at the Cenotaph on Whitehall, London, in November 2022 -
Queen Camilla, King Charles and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa at the Grand Entrance of Buckingham Palace during a state visit in November 2022. This is the first state visit hosted by the UK with King Charles as monarch -
King Charles and Queen Camilla talk to co-owners of Wrexham AFC Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney during a visit to Wales in December 2022 -
King Charles during the recording of his first Christmas broadcast at Windsor Castle in December 2022 -
King Charles dances at a pre-Chanukah reception hosted on site for Holocaust survivors at the JW3 Community Centre in December 2022 in London -
King Charles and Queen Camilla meet members of the public during a visit to the Bangladeshi community of Brick Lane in London in February -
King Charles holds an audience with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at Buckingham Palace in February -
King Charles meets members of the Turkish diaspora community in February in Hounslow, West London -
King Charles speaks at the German Bundestag in March in Berlin, Germany -
First Lady Elke Buedenbender, Queen Camilla, King Charles and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier arrive for a Ceremonial welcome at Brandenburg Gate in Berlin in March -
King Charles greets people at York Minster for the Maunday Thursday Service in April -
King Charles inspects the 200th Sovereign's parade at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in April -
King Charles and Queen Camilla switch on stage lighting as they visit the host venue of the Eurovision Song Contest, the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool in April -
King Charles looks up as he receives the St Edward's Crown during his coronation ceremony in Westminster Abbey in May -
King Charles stands after being crowned in Westminster Abbey in May -
King Charles and Queen Camilla travelling in the Gold State Coach down The Mall on route to Buckingham Palace during the coronation in May -
King Charles arrives to receive a royal salute from members of the military in the gardens of Buckingham Palace following his coronation -
King Charles travels by train pulled by the Flying Scotsman in celebration of its 100th anniversary, in June -
Prince George, Prince Louis, Catherine, Princess of Wales, Princess Charlotte, Prince William, King Charles, Queen Camilla, Prince Edward, and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh stand on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to watch a fly-past of aircraft by the Royal Air Force during Trooping the Colour in June -
King Charles attends Royal Ascot in June -
King Charles and Queen Camilla pose with masquerade masks as they attend the Animal Ball at Lancaster House in London to mark the 20th anniversary of wildlife conservation charity Elephant Family in June -
Catherine, Princess of Wales and Prince William look on as King Charles is presented with the Crown of Scotland during the National Service of Thanksgiving and Dedication for King Charles and Queen Camilla at St Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh, Scotland in July -
King Charles and US President Joe Biden at Windsor Castle in July
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also offered his best wishes.
“I, like Canadians across the country and people around the world, am thinking of His Majesty King Charles III as he undergoes treatment for cancer,” Mr Trudeau tweeted.
“We’re sending him our very best wishes – and hoping for a fast and full recovery.”
Canada is one of the 14 Commonwealth nations where the king is head of state.
Former US president Donald Trump, the front-runner for the Republican party nomination ahead of the 2024 elections, posted on the Truth Social platform: “King Charles has cancer.
“He is a wonderful man, who I got to know well during my presidency, and we all pray that he has a fast and full recovery.”
French President Emmanuel Macron posted on X: “Wishing His Majesty King Charles III a speedy recovery.
“Our thoughts are with the British people. Amities.”
Tourists and locals outside Buckingham Palace spoke of their sadness after hearing the news.
Lisa Nash, 61, said she wished Charles well and added that the royal family does “a lot for this country”.
She said: “My thoughts are with him and to go through something like cancer but in the public eye is pretty something, so I'm pleased that he's given people snippets of information but I'm quite glad that he's going to keep the rest of it private.
“I think for his own peace of mind, he needs to be doing that, it's enough of a struggle as it is but I wish him well and I'm sure he'll pull through and things will be fine.”
