King Charles has taken a step back from royal duties after undergoing treatment following his shock cancer diagnosis earlier this month, with much of his workload given to his eldest son Prince William

King Charles could ask Prince Harry to take on other duties as he steps back after his cancer diagnosis, a royal expert has claimed.

It was announced earlier this month that the 75-year-old monarch had been diagnosed with an undisclosed type of cancer following a procedure on an enlarged prostate, and he has since undergone his first round of treatment.

Charles has temporarily stepped back from his royal duties while recovering at Sandringham with his wife Camilla, with much of his workload passed on to his eldest son Prince William.

However, the strain of the intense schedule has seemingly taken its toll on the Prince of Wales, and he was forced to cancel an appearance at a memorial for his godfather earlier this week. According to former royal butler Grant Harrold, who worked for Charles for seven years when he was the Prince of Wales, the monarch could be tempted to use his youngest son Prince Harry to take on some royal duties to alleviate the pressure on William.

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Charles is reportedly keen to welcome Harry back into the family(Getty Images)
“It is possible that given recent events, with the king not being 100% and he’s now relying on other members of the family, he could ask Harry to take on other duties,” he told the New York Post. “Remember, Prince Harry is still a senior member of the royal family – he’s not a working member of the royal family, but he is still very much a member of the family and Counsellor of State, which means he’s able to step in when the king is unable to perform his duties.”Promoted Stories
He noted that Harry still has a long way to go before he’s trusted to carry out royal duties, and his possible appearance at public events would have to be planned in advance, as the Duke of Sussex resides in Montecito, California, with with Meghan Markle and their two children – Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. Harry will “still be privy to top-secret information” despite his bitter estrangement from his family, and due to his title of Counsellor of State, he is “technically able to step in for the king”.

William and Harry reconciling is a big part of Charles’ plans for the future of the monarchy
POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
It was reported earlier this week that Prince William had attempted to block any chance of his younger brother returning to royal duties, after Harry expressed interest following their father’s cancer diagnosis. The bitter fallout between Harry and William has only deepened over the last few years, and when the Duke returned to the UK earlier this month to see Charles, he did not meet with William.

Grant believes Charles is “being sensible” by welcoming Harry back into the fold, and has already started planning the future of the monarchy, which includes his sons taking centre stage. “His current situation has probably made him take a step back, put things into perspective, and ensure he has a plan in place,” he explained. The Mirror has approached Buckingham Palace for comment.