King Charles III reportedly plans to resume full royal duties in 2025, including major UK and international visits, despite cancer treatment.

Recently, the monarch hosted a pre-Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace, which was attended by senior members of the royal family. Prince William and Kate Middleton skipped the event, opting to celebrate in Norfolk.

King Charles and Queen Camilla also recently released their official Christmas card, showing Buckingham Palace's sunny garden taken in April.

A Buckingham Palace insider said King Charles' health is being carefully "managed" and is showing positive progress, although the monarch will still need ongoing cancer treatment over the next year.

"His treatment is moving in a positive direction as the cycle of treatment, as a controlled condition, will continue in the new year," a Palace insider said. Daily Mail.

The source revealed that plans are already underway for Charles to resume a full schedule of royal engagements next year, including a series of high-profile UK and international visits during the first half of 2025.

The update comes as Charles welcomed members of the royal family to Buckingham Palace for a festive pre-Christmas gathering.

Meanwhile, he and Queen Camilla attended their last public engagement of 2024 today: a reception at Waltham Forest Town Hall in East London.

Despite a year of personal challenges, including his cancer diagnosis, as well as the Princess of Wales' health battle, Charles continued with his royal duties.

He has significantly increased his royal engagements in recent months, including a visit to Apple's headquarters in London and a meeting with CEO Tim Cook.

"You could almost forget at the start of the year that this was a man dealing with the shock of being diagnosed with cancer," a source shared with Sky News.

The announcement of Charles' cancer, the specifics of which remain undisclosed, first surfaced in February. It was discovered during treatment for an enlarged prostate in January.

After his diagnosis, Charles temporarily stepped back from personal duties, but returned in April.

He has since attended D-Day commemorations in France, hosted state visits by the Emperor of Japan and the Emir of Qatar, and embarked on a demanding tour of Australia and Samoa with Queen Camilla – all while continuing outpatient cancer treatment.

Charles was spotted arriving at the palace with his private secretary for his pre-Christmas lunch.

Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, were also seen attending the gathering.

However, Prince William and Kate Middleton did not attend the royal family's traditional pre-Christmas lunch. According to The Times UKThe Prince and Princess of Wales traveled to Norfolk to kick off their holiday celebrations.

Their three children, Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6, joined their parents and skipped their grandfather's event.

Charles' pre-Christmas lunch, usually held a week before Christmas, is a long-standing royal tradition with around 70 guests usually in attendance.

Last year, Charles hosted the celebration at Windsor Castle, but this year he returned to Buckingham Palace, reflecting his usual location during the reign of Queen Elizabeth II.

Earlier this month, Charles and Camilla unveiled their official Christmas card, featuring a photo of the couple in the gardens of Buckingham Palace.

Taken in April, the picture shows the king and queen standing side by side on a clear, sunny day. The card read: "Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year."

In the photo, Charles, standing on the left, is wearing a gray suit paired with a blue tie, with his right hand in his pocket. On the other hand, Queen Camilla was dressed in a blue woolen crepe dress.

The photo, taken by Millie Pilkington, was taken as the king resumed public engagements following cancer treatment, and according to the palace, the card symbolizes the time when life began to feel normal again.

The festive card marks Charles and Camilla's third Christmas card since the 76-year-old became king.

Last year's card featured a royal moment captured by Hugo Burnand in the throne room at Buckingham Palace shortly after Charles' coronation.

Charles wore the Imperial Crown in that picture, while Camilla wore the Crown of Queen Mary.

In addition to Charles, his sons, William and Harry, also posted holiday cards with pictures of their families.