Buckingham Palace has issued a major update on King Charles' health, announcing that he is set to return to public-facing duties shortly after a period of treatment and recuperation following his recent cancer diagnosis. The monarch has been receiving outpatient care since early February when it was revealed he had been diagnosed with an unspecified type of cancer.

To mark the promising development, the palace released a never-before-seen portrait of King Charles beaming at Queen Camilla, taken by photographer Millie Pilkington. The image was captured on April 10, the day after their 19th wedding anniversary, in the Buckingham Palace garden.

As part of his return to public duties, King Charles and Queen Camilla will visit a cancer treatment centre on Tuesday to meet with medical specialists and patients. The royal couple will also host the Emperor and Empress of Japan for a state visit to the UK in June.