King Charles III briefly returned to a London hospital on Thursday following what Buckingham Palace described as "temporary side effects" stemming from a scheduled cancer treatment earlier that day. The 76-year-old monarch has since returned home to Clarence House and canceled public engagements planned for Friday on the advice of his medical team.
"His Majesty would like to send his apologies to all those who may be inconvenienced or disappointed as a result," the palace said in a statement Thursday evening. Charles had been scheduled to receive credentials from three foreign ambassadors and undertake a series of public engagements in Birmingham.
A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said the King "very much hopes that they can be rescheduled in due course and offers his deepest apologies to all those who had worked so hard to make the planned visit possible."
The brief hospitalization marks the first publicized disruption in the King's schedule since he resumed duties last year following disclosure of his cancer diagnosis. Though the type and stage of cancer remain undisclosed, palace sources say Charles has continued to receive outpatient treatment under the supervision of his medical team.
A royal source described the episode as "the most minor bump in the road that's very much heading in the right direction," and emphasized that the King remains in good spirits. After returning home Thursday evening, Charles resumed working on official papers and made several phone calls from his study, the source added.
Queen Camilla did not accompany her husband to the clinic, which is the same private hospital near Regent's Park where he was treated for an enlarged prostate in January 2024. The monarch revealed his cancer diagnosis the following month and temporarily stepped away from public-facing duties. He resumed those engagements in April.
Earlier this week, Charles hosted a reception at Buckingham Palace and an investiture at Windsor Castle. He also completed a three-day trip to Northern Ireland last week and met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy earlier this month.
Despite Thursday's interruption, the King and Queen are still expected to travel to Italy in April for a state visit, although a scheduled audience with Pope Francis at the Vatican has been postponed as the pontiff recovers from a case of double pneumonia.
In a statement Friday, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer extended well wishes: He "wishes His Majesty the King all the very best," according to PA Media.
Charles has previously spoken about the personal impact of his diagnosis, saying the outpouring of support "reduced me to tears" and describing the encouragement as "the greatest comfort."
His calendar has been managed carefully in consultation with his doctors to balance his duties and recovery. Aides say that maintaining a regular schedule of state business and limited public events has been beneficial to his wellbeing. After a recent trip to Australia and Samoa, palace officials said the visit had "lifted his spirits, his mood and his recovery."
