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King Charles was seen in public on Tuesday for the first time since it was revealed he was suffering from a form of cancer<\/a> as his estranged younger son Prince Harry flew into London to see him.<\/p>\n Buckingham Palace announced on Monday that Charles, 75, on the throne for less than 18 months since the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth, has been diagnosed with the disease and would postpone his public engagements to undergo treatment.<\/p>\n Charles smiled and waved to passers-by as he was driven the short distance from his Clarence House home in central London to Buckingham Palace on Tuesday afternoon.<\/p>\n The palace has said the king was remaining \u201cwholly positive\u201d, and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak earlier said the cancer had been caught early.<\/p>\n Harry, who has fallen out with his father and the rest of the royal family since he stepped down from royal duties<\/a> almost four years ago, arrived in Britain to visit his father as messages of support for the monarch poured in from world leaders.<\/p>\n However, a royal source said there were no plans for Harry to see his elder brother, heir-to-the-throne Prince William, during his visit to Britain.<\/p>\n William is expected to step up to fulfil some of the monarch\u2019s duties, along with other senior royals while Charles begins a series of out-patient treatments.<\/p>\n \u201cAll our thoughts are with him and his family. You know, thankfully, this has been caught early,\u201d Sunak told BBC<\/em> radio, saying he was \u201cshocked and sad\u201d at the news.<\/p>\n Despite the diagnosis, Charles is planning to continue with much of his private work as monarch, including his weekly audience with the prime minister and dealing with state papers. Sunak said he was in regular contact with the king.<\/p>\n \u201cThat will of course continue as normal and we\u2019ll crack on with everything,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The cancer was discovered when Charles stayed three nights<\/a> in hospital last month where he underwent a corrective procedure for a benign enlarged prostate. Beyond confirming it was not prostate cancer, the palace has not given any further details.<\/p>\n The royal family usually keep medical matters private, but the palace said Charles had chosen to go public as he was the patron of several cancer-related charities.<\/p>\n While the king will receive expert care, his diagnosis will draw attention to Britain\u2019s rising cancer waiting times with the state-run National Health Service (NHS) which is widely regarded as being in crisis.<\/p>\n Survival rates for cancer in Britain lag those of other European countries for nine out of 10 of the most common types of the disease, according to an NHS Confederation report published in January.<\/p>\n The surprise diagnosis, which has dominated British media since the announcement was made, is another personal blow for Charles during his year and a half on the throne.<\/p>\n Surprise diagnosis<\/h2>\n