Friday, March 28, 2025 - King Charles was taken to hospital on Thursday, Maech 27, after experiencing side effects from his cancer treatment.
Charles "required a short period of
observation" before returning to Clarence House, Buckingham Palace
said.
He has cancelled an away day to Birmingham
on Friday, March 28, to prioritise his recovery as a precautionary
measure.
The King, 76, was said to be on good form
at his London home where he is working on state papers and making calls from
his study.
A source described it as a "most minor
bump in a road that is very much heading in the right direction".
The King visited the London Clinic on
Thursday morning and travelled to and from the hospital by car. He was not
joined by the Queen during his brief stay.
Buckingham Palace said in a statement:
"Following scheduled and ongoing medical treatment for cancer this
morning, the King experienced temporary side effects that required a short
period of observation in hospital.
"His Majesty’s afternoon engagements
were therefore postponed.
"His Majesty has now returned to
Clarence House and as a precautionary measure, acting on medical advice,
tomorrow’s diary programme will also be rescheduled.
"His Majesty would like to send his
apologies to all those who may be inconvenienced or disappointed as a
result."
Charles was diagnosed with an undisclosed
form of cancer in February 2024 and returned to public-facing duties in April
despite still undergoing weekly treatment.
He has had a busy run of engagements this
month, including a reception for media on Wednesday evening after a visit to a
soil exhibition in the day, and is due to make a historic state visit to Italy
in 10 days’ time.
It is understood the overseas tour with the
Queen from April 7-10, which will see Charles become the first British
sovereign to address both houses of the Italian parliament, is expected to go
ahead as planned.
Last week, the King made a whirlwind
three-day visit to Northern Ireland with Camilla, and earlier in March hosted
high-profile audiences with key political figures including Ukrainian president
Volodymyr Zelensky, outgoing Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau and new
Canadian PM Mark Carney.
Charles, who is known for being a
workaholic, is said to have thrived on carrying out public and state duties in
recent months, seeing them as being of great benefit to his overall
wellbeing.
His long-haul visit to Australia and Samoa
last autumn was described at the time as the ‘perfect tonic’ for the
monarch.
Since his diagnosis last year, the King’s
diary of engagements is understood to have been developed in full consultation
with his medical team at all stages to protect and prioritise his
recovery.
Sources stressed the hospital visit was not
a major development and no further updates are expected on the King’s health,
with any minor alterations to his diary that may be required next week being
announced in due course.
The King was due to meet ambassadors in
audiences at Buckingham Palace on Thursday afternoon but these were postponed
due to his stay in hospital.
He also had a busy day planned in
Birmingham on Friday, with four engagements back-to-back.
The London Clinic was the same hospital where he was treated for an
enlarged prostate in January last year, and also where the Princess of Wales
had abdominal surgery the same month.
The specifics of the King’s side effects have not been disclosed but
they are understood to be temporary and not uncommon with many medical
treatments.
The announcement from the Palace is understood to have been made late on
Thursday because time was required for the King to consult his staff and
medical team on his return to Clarence House.
It was decided on balance that it was wiser to cancel the visit to
Birmingham as a precautionary measure.
A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said: "His Majesty was due to
receive credentials from the ambassadors of three different nations this
afternoon.
"Tomorrow, he was due to undertake four public engagements in
Birmingham, and is greatly disappointed to be missing them on this
occasion.
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