See King Charles in First Royal Engagement Since Cancer Diagnosis

King Charles is back. On April 30, the monarch made his return to royal duties with his first official engagement since revealing his cancer diagnosis on February 5, and for a poignant cause close to his heart.

Charles visited the University College Hospital Macmillan Cancer Centre in London, and was joined by Queen Camilla for the occasion. During the pair’s visit, they spent an hour talking to medical specialists and patients receiving treatment at the center, and learned about the importance of early cancer detection and the services the university offers as treatment.

In photos from Charles’s visit, he is seen chatting with hospital staff and engaging in conversation with patients on the floor of the hospital, smiling in nearly every interaction he had. The engagement marks Charles’s first major outing after attending the Easter church service on March 31 in Windsor.

Following news of King Charles’s return to royal duties, there were rumors that he was “not doing well” enough to return to the public eye. Royal expert Katie Nicholl debunked those rumors, telling Entertainment Tonight, “My sources have been telling me that the king has been responding very positively to his medical treatment, that his medical team are very pleased with his progress. I think that the news that we hear out of the palace really supports all of that, because he’s coming back to work.”

She continued, “What I think we’re going to see now is the king really champion raising awareness of cancer. He’s very aware of the incredible spotlight he can bring to important causes, something he has done his whole life,” Nicholl added. “He’s sending out a very clear message by making his first visit as he returns to public-facing duties, a visit to a cancer treatment center.”

It won’t be a true return to form, though—Charles’s schedule is nowhere near as packed as it would have been before his cancer, with Nicholl explaining that the frequency of events has been “scaled down” to accommodate his illness. Still, the King is eager to get back to work, and has appearances at Royal Ascot and Trooping the Colour on the horizon.

“The most frustrating thing for the king in all of this has been that he hasn’t been able to do the work that he’s wanted to do,” the royal expert explained. “He’s very, very relieved that he’s going to be able to resume that.”