Buckingham Palace released a new photo of King Charles for Maundy Thursday, which we discussed yesterday. People were really surprised that this was an authorized palace photo and that little palace elves didn’t go to work on this image to make Charles look a bit healthier. You know why that is, though? Buckingham Palace doesn’t want to get caught manipulating photos like Kensington Palace. BP knew this photo would cause concern but they released it anyway, in the spirit of “oh well, at least we’re not lying unlike some people we could mention.” The Times noted that Charles looked “more gaunt” than usual and there were some concerned comments online. Some outlets (including us!) even published the side-by-side comparison between this pic and Charles’s desk photo from the day after his mother died, in September 2022. Same desk, different staging. Buckingham Palace is also doing the most to talk up Charles’s progress:

King Charles is “positive” about his cancer treatment. The King’s team is said to be thinking about a summer schedule for the monarch, 75, amid “amplified confidence” in light of the sophisticated treatment he is receiving, a royal source tells PEOPLE.

The King is “progressing well” in his treatment, a source close to the royal household says. The royal source adds, “He is positive, the doctors are optimistic.”

The source adds that King Charles has not been “operationally constrained” so far and Buckingham Palace is planning for “a summer diary.” However, his team won’t commit to any engagements and will rely on “medical advice nearer the time.”

The King’s outings and engagements have been restricted to small numbers of people since the palace revealed his diagnosis on Feb. 5, However, towards the summer when the risk of airborne illnesses eases, more engagements could happen outside – such as Trooping the Colour, the annual public celebration of the monarch’s birthday which will take place on June 15.

“There could be a slow increase of numbers of people they are able to meet indoors,” the source adds. A second source shared that King Charles’ team is “planning as usual.”

“One thing that has been wholly undiminished is his appetite for work,” the royal source added.

[From People]

BP has been heavily pushing the “Charles is still in charge” line for weeks, but it’s gotten even louder ever since Kate’s cancer-announcement video. My theory is still that Buckingham Palace seems to have finally taken over the messaging for KP, and/or they’ve cleaned up William’s mess behind the scenes. Whatever has happened, no one expects to see William for weeks and no one expects to see Kate for months. It’s now the Charles and Camilla Show, come hell or high water. I’m also curious about this “sophisticated treatment” Charles is receiving. I hope it’s medically sound, because Charles is a well-known lover of alternative medicine. Sausage-fingers crossed that Charles’s sophisticated treatment isn’t just berries, vitamin C and tree bark.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.