Overview

• The Belgian Palace confirmed that King Albert II had his sixth preventative skin cancer procedure but did not disclose its timing.
• The 91-year-old former monarch appeared at a Brussels reception with a facial scar, marking his first public engagement in five months.
• This latest surgery continues a sequence of routine treatments, bringing his total to six operations over the past 11 years.
• Medical specialists link Albert’s recurrent skin cancer procedures to chronic sun exposure during holidays in sunnier climates.
• Albert’s ongoing health concerns echo the issues that prompted his 2013 abdication and leave the monarchy in the care of his son, King Philippe.