The news of King Charles’ illness has given immediacy to a lot of questions. The fact that he is the King and has cancer has, of course, made sure that plans for succession are firmly in place. The King’s eagerness to reconcile with his son, Harry, might even stem from this. And there is, of course, the matter of his funeral, which has to be planned while he’s still alive.

But as the King’s funeral is being planned, he will do something no other monarch has done in over 400 years. King Charles is set to attend a Catholic funeral in an official capacity. That hasn’t happened since the Reformation.

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The King will attend a Requiem Mass at Westminster Cathedral, the largest Catholic church in England and Wales, for the Duchess of Kent. Katherine Kent just recently died at age 92. She converted to Catholicism in 1994, becoming the first member of the royal family to do so since King Charles II’s deathbed conversion in 1685.

He won’t be the only one attending. Queen Camilla, the Prince and Princess of Wales, and most members of the royal family will also attend the service, which is set to take place on September 16.

This all comes after recent reports that King Charles’ cancer is incurable, but manageable. Writer and associate editor of the Daily Telegraph, Camilla Tominey explained, “The talk now is that he may die ‘with’ cancer, but not ‘of’ cancer following a rigorous treatment program.”

But that doesn’t mean he’s doing well. RadarOnline reported that the King’s health has gotten worse recently. “He is now shuffling around with a cane – and hitting the bottle, and in particular whisky, to numb the pain and despair he feels.” The outlet described it as “a sad end for him,” with sources saying “his health has deteriorated significantly in recent months.”

Recent reports also indicate the King has his own funeral more or less planned. The Telegraph recently reported that the King has set up his funeral to make it so that his estranged son Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, are the heart of his funeral plans. Bodes well for that upcoming reconciliation. The outlet reported that Harry is expected to walk side by side with his brother at the forefront of the processions through the streets of London.

A reconciliation with his son would make all of that much easier, and it seems like it’s not just in the cards; it might happen soon. “From a positive private family stance, some personal healing between father and son would be good,” British broadcaster and photographer Helena Chard told Fox News Digital. “King Charles will always love his son, and, in light of the king’s ongoing cancer treatment, it could help tidy up the messy, fractured relationship.”

That’s not all, King Charles could even end up helping his sons reconcile. “King Charles is living with cancer, which makes his family situation very sad,” Chard pointed out. “I’m sure he is thinking about his mortality and reevaluating his life. He would not want a family feud tarnishing his positive contributions and memory. I’m sure he will also want to clear up unresolved issues or surprises that could lead to further resentment and conflict between his two sons.”

One funeral down, another one planned that a lot of people hope doesn’t get to happen anytime soon.

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