THE King has endured four years of intense stress including the deaths of his mother and father, family break-ups, public race rows, the coronation and now a cancer diagnosis.

The monarch has also cast out his younger brother Prince Andrew because of the ongoing Jeffrey Epstein sex scandal.

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The King has endured four years of intense stress and now a cancer diagnosisCredit: Rex

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While Prince Philip had only weeks to live, Harry and Meghan dropped their hugely damaging race row bombshell in an interview with Oprah Winfrey

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As The Queen’s health worsened throughout the year and Charles visited regularly as she pared down her work to a minimum
While the 75-year-old King remains “wholly positive” about his cancer treatment, which began this week, he has many other problems to keep him awake at night.

The decade opened with “darling boy” Prince Harry and his wife Meghan turning their back on their family to carve out a “progressive new role” living in the US.

Their shock move — dubbed Megxit — at the start of 2020 left the Royal Family short of two young and key members who could help take the strain of duty and service as others grew old.

Covid hit in the same year and social-distancing rules starved Charles of contact with his father and mother in their final years.

Meghan’s race accusation

A year later, while Prince Philip had only weeks to live, Harry and Meghan dropped their hugely damaging race row bombshell in an interview with Oprah Winfrey.

They claimed an unnamed family member made comments about the colour of son Archie’s skin.

Meghan said she would never reveal the culprit’s identity, claiming: “I think that would be very damaging to them.”

Charles later swapped letters with his daughter-in-law in which she made it clear she believed he had made the comments about Archie.

It was a race accusation that remained private until Charles and the Princess of Wales’s names were published in a Dutch version of Omid Scobie’s book Endgame.

Prince Philip died aged 99 in April 2021 — a month after the Oprah interview aired. Mourners at his funeral had to be socially distanced because of Covid.

Locals hoping for King to return to Balmoral as they will him on in battle with cancer
But Harry kept up his assault and weeks later blasted his father on a podcast, saying he moved to the US to “break that cycle” of “genetic pain” in his family.

He said he did not want to pass on the pain he experienced during his upbringing to his own children.

Sources confirm that after the Duke of Edinburgh’s death, the Queen stepped back from many of her roles and Charles took on extra leadership duties.

It was the hardest decision, as it’s his brother and he cares for him. But he knew it was the right thing to do.

Her mobility issues restricted her abilities after she spent a night in hospital in October.

As 2021 ended and 2022 began, the sex abuse allegations against Prince Andrew had worsened and the Duke of York vowed to fight them in court.

‘Taking out the trash’

It was Charles, in discussions with Prince William over Christmas and New Year, who decided that Andrew, his own brother, must be stripped of his royal roles to save the family’s reputation.

A source told The Sun: “Charles knew he had to take out the trash.

“It was the hardest decision, as it’s his brother and he cares for him. But he knew it was the right thing to do.”

The Queen’s health worsened throughout the year and Charles visited regularly as she pared down her work to a minimum.

He was not acting as Regent or King but it was Charles who fulfilled several key roles including at Armistice Day and the State Opening of Parliament.

On the anniversary of her Accession Day, the late Queen made it clear that when the time came, Charles’s wife Camilla was to be known as Queen Consort.

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Harry kept up his assault on Charles and blasted his father on a podcast, saying he moved to the US to ‘break that cycle’ of ‘genetic pain’ in his family

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It was Charles, in discussions with Prince William over Christmas and New Year, who decided that Andrew, his own brother, must be stripped of his royal roles
A source said: “The Queen was extremely happy. She had stepped back and Charles had stepped up. She was enjoying her life.” Yet throughout this time, family attacks from Harry and Meghan continued.

The couple carried on filming their self-titled, six-part Netflix series while the Queen knew she was in her final months in the summer of 2022.

Charles was by his mother’s bedside when she died in September that year — the loss of a second parent in 17 months.

Don’t make my final years a misery.

Following her death, he was described as “exhausted and grieving” — which came to the fore on a trip to Northern Ireland days later when he became angry with a leaky pen. He went on to take a much-needed break in the Scottish Highlands — but then more stress was lobbed from Harry and Meghan in their Netflix series.

Harry made all sorts of accusations about his family, claiming that William had shouted during Sandringham summit talks and alleged his father had lied while the Queen “sat and watched”.

Gruelling schedule

Around Christmas, Charles, prompted by sister Princess Anne, decided that Harry and Meghan should be booted out of Windsor’s Frogmore Cottage.

The eviction email was issued days after Harry painted a brutal picture of an unloving father in his memoir Spare.

The book included a line from Charles in which he said to his warring sons: “Don’t make my final years a misery.”

Charles successfully navigated his Coronation at Westminster Abbey a few months later, in May last year.

Harry attended the event but Meghan chose not to.

The new King then embarked on three gruelling state visits to Germany, France and Kenya.

And towards the end of the year, he travelled to Dubai to open the COP28 environment summit days after the Dutch version of Scobie’s book named him as a racist.

Charles had said he would “not be emotionally blackmailed” by his son. Sources said the King was exhausted but still fulfilled his engagements.

He carried out an incredible 500 jobs in a year plus his daily constitutional role with government Red Boxes and weekly audiences with the Prime Minister.

Camilla had advised her husband to “slow down”.

No date for ‘return to duty’

Trips in the pipeline for this year included Canada, Samoa and Australia. But they now look very unlikely. Following Harry’s repeated attacks, the King had “batted away” recent attempts by his son to contact him — but said the door was always open.

However, he chose to call his wayward son after being diagnosed with cancer, which was discovered during a hospital stay last week to treat an enlarged prostate. He also spoke to William, as well as his own brothers and sister before making his cancer diagnosis public.

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While the 75-year-old King remains ‘wholly positive’ about his cancer treatment, which began this week, he has many other problems to keep him awake at night

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There is no date for his return to official duty after the shock diagnosis
The King will rest in Sandringham and travel back to London to be an out-patient for his cancer treatment. There is no date for his return to official duty.

Insiders say the last thing he needs is more family drama but Harry arrived from California yesterday — without Meghan.

Harry’s brother Prince William, meanwhile, remained at his wife Kate’s side in Windsor as she recovers from abdominal surgery.

After four years of woe, the King could be forgiven for not having a chance to think of himself. But following his shocking cancer diagnosis, the head of state must finally put himself first.