The King made a joke about ageing as he officially opened Midland Metropolitan University Hospital in the West Midlands. Charles, 76, met staff, patients and volunteers at the 736-bed facility in Smethwick, including a cancer patient he comforted at his bedside.The monarch visited one of the hospital’s acute elderly care wards, where he met 85-year-old patient Jacqueline Page, from Great Barr.
The pair shared a joke about their health, with Mrs Page telling the King she was “wearing out”. The King responded: “I know, this is the terrible thing, as I am discovering already. The bits don’t work so well when you get past 70.”
Charles also told cancer patient Matthew Shinda, 73, “I’m not too bad,” as he was asked about his own recovery during the engagement. The King, who was diagnosed with cancer in February 2024, is still receiving ongoing treatment for an undisclosed form of the disease.
Matthew told him: “I have the same disease. It’s prostate.”
Charles replied: “Half the problem is detecting it, isn’t it, in time.” He later added: “The great thing I think is they’re getting better and better at dealing with these things. The trouble is there’s always hope down the road. I am sorry about that, it’s so frustrating.
Matthew said after the visit: “I was elated. He showed concern.”
Visit to Birmingham Oratory
The King kept his promise to visit Birmingham as an earlier visit in March was postponed after he experienced temporary side effects following his cancer treatment that required a short period of hospital observation.
© Getty ImagesEarlier in the day, Charles also toured the Oratory of St. Philip Neri following the canonisation of Cardinal John Henry Newman, seeing historic items in the library and viewing the Cardinal’s personal effects in his room, which has remained untouched since his death. The Birmingham Oratory was founded by Cardinal John Henry Newman in 1848 after he had joined the Congregation of the Oratory in Rome. The current church building was opened in 1909 in his memory.
© Getty ImagesJohn Henry Newman was created a cardinal in 1879 but chose to stay at the Oratory until his death in 1890 and was canonised at the Vatican in 2019, which Charles, as Prince of Wales, attended.
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