King Charles seen for first time since cancer diagnosis made public

King Charles has been pictured for the first time since his cancer diagnosis was announced on Monday.

The monarch waved as he made his way from Clarence House to Buckingham Palace with his wife, Queen Camilla, by his side on Tuesday afternoon (about 3am AEDT).

The images were taken shortly after the King and Queen had a visit at home from Prince Harry, who landed in London from Los Angeles just hours earlier, around midnight AEDT.

READ MORE: Prince Harry visits King Charles after landing in London

A helicopter was seen taking off from Buckingham Palace soon after the King and Queen's arrival at that royal residence and later captured by TV cameras landing at the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk.

It's reported the King has made his way to the country's north-east to continue his recuperation.

READ MORE: Everything we know about King Charles III's health history

The couple had been in Sandringham over the weekend and were spotted attending church on Sunday before returning to London for the King to begin cancer treatment as an out-patient.

It's not known if they're planning on staying there for some time or if it's just a brief visit.

Tuesday not only marked a reunion with his youngest son for the first time in nine months but also the anniversary of his grandfather's death and his mother's accession to the throne.

King George VI died in Sandringham from lung cancer on February 6, 1952, placing Queen Elizabeth II, then 25, on the throne.

Her Majesty would avoid returning to London for work after the Christmas break until after the anniversary each year, spending the day in quiet reflection at the country estate.

While, King Charles's type of cancer remains unknown it's bound to make his grandfather's death anniversary a more poignant one this year.

All that is known about His Majesty's diagnosis is that it was identified at the time of a previously announced procedure for benign prostate enlargement but is not prostate cancer.

In a historic announcement, Buckingham Palace said His Majesty "remains wholly positive about his treatment", which officially began in London on Monday.

"His Majesty has chosen to share his diagnosis to prevent speculation and in the hope it may assist public understanding for all those around the world who are affected by cancer," the statement said in part.

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All the times the royals have been in hospital

"He's on his usual good form in every way, just a little frustrated that his condition has affected not just his own plans but impacted on others," a royal source told Telegraph UK.

Royal biographer Katie Nicholl echoed a similar sentiment for the self-confessed workhorse, saying the cancer diagnosis would have been "a huge setback" for the King who was already eager to return to work after his procedure.

"This is going to be a huge setback for him, I've spoken to sources close to the King," Nicholl told GB News hosts Eamonn Holmes and Isabel Webster.

"This news came as a huge shock to the King, to the Queen, and to everyone around them.

"At the time he was recuperating at Sandringham, I'm told rather impatiently, such is his determination to hurry to get back to work, and he was already doing light desk duties after that procedure for an enlarged prostate.

"So, to discover something is obviously quite seriously wrong, totally separate to what he went in for, well, you can imagine on a personal level how that must feel but for him as head of state with that question mark."