King Charles' cancer treatment will continue into the New Year - but his treatment has been moving in a "positive direction".
Buckingham Palace publicly announced the monarch's cancer treatment last February.
Now, sources say there is a "sense" of optimism as Charles, who is 76, has been keeping busy with public engagements in the lead-up to Christmas.
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"His treatment has been moving in a positive direction and as a managed condition the treatment cycle will continue into next year," the palace insider told Sky News.
The King made the decision to publicly share his cancer diagnosis in the hope it may help others look out for signs and symptoms. However, he has never disclosed which form of cancer he is being treated for, to not take away from the significance of other types of the disease.
It has never been revealed to the public what type of treatment he has been receiving either, but he has been attending private appointments in London.
It has been a challenging year for the royals, as Kate Middleton has also been battling cancer.
Dame Laura Lee, chief executive of the cancer support charity Maggie's, told Sky News: "It's very common for treatment to be ongoing for very long periods of time, as is the treatment that the Princess of Wales went through, which is an intense period of treatment over a year, and then it comes to a point where it's on an end, and she's on that recovery from some of the impacts of her treatment.
"So we've got immunotherapy, chemotherapy, surgery, hormone therapy. There are all sorts of different treatment modalities. And so it's not surprising at all."
She praised both Charles and Kate for being open about their illness, adding: "What we've heard from our centre visitors, it's been good that they haven't just shone a light on one specific cancer type, but they've shone a light on cancer as a whole, and that there's varying treatment and varying impacts and varying different ways of navigating the challenges that cancer bring.
"And I think that approach has been much more effective and positive for the cancer community. I know firsthand that everyone is so grateful to them for doing that."
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