King experiences temporary side effects of cancer treatment

Buckingham Palace announced that King Charles III made a brief visit to the hospital on Thursday due to temporary side effects experienced during his cancer treatment. The King subsequently returned to Clarence House, where he is reportedly continuing to deal with state papers and conducting telephone communications from his study.

Due to medical advice, the King canceled his scheduled trip to Birmingham on Friday. The 76-year-old King Charles was originally scheduled to attend a series of events in Birmingham, including four public engagements. Buckingham Palace first announced the King's cancer diagnosis in February 2024.

A Buckingham Palace spokesperson stated that a meeting scheduled for Thursday with three ambassadors was also affected. The palace statement added: "He was scheduled to undertake four public engagements in Birmingham tomorrow and is deeply disappointed at not being able to do so. He is very much looking forward to rearranging his visit at the earliest opportunity and apologizes to all those who were looking forward to it." A palace source described it as just "the slightest bump in the road, which is heading in the right direction."

Nevertheless, Buckingham Palace did not provide specific information about the King's side effects. Queen Camilla attended a reception in Wembley, north London, on Thursday, not accompanying her husband during his brief hospitalization. The main message from Buckingham Palace is reassuring, with the postponement of the Birmingham trip seen as a minor setback amidst overall optimism regarding the King's health.

Reportedly, there was no emergency throughout the process, and the King traveled to the London Clinic hospital in central London by car rather than ambulance. The statement released late at night indicated that postponing Friday's visit was a wiser decision, preferring to address minor issues transparently in advance rather than causing significant disruption with a last-minute cancellation. The King's cancer treatment is still ongoing, but he seems eager not to be defined by his illness, appearing keen to meet people and showing no signs of slowing down, still scheduling a full itinerary.

In recent weeks, he has visited Northern Ireland, released a playlist of his favorite music, and attended the Commonwealth Day service, after missing last year's ceremony due to his cancer diagnosis. Furthermore, the King has been at the center of global diplomatic affairs in recent weeks, unexpectedly. He invited U.S. President Donald Trump for a second state visit to the UK and expressed solidarity with Ukrainian President Zelensky after Zelensky's meeting with Trump at the White House. He also warmly welcomed Canada's new Prime Minister, Mark Carney, whose nation is facing pressure from Trump.

All these signs suggest that the King is energetic. The postponement of the state visit to the Vatican announced earlier this week was due to Pope Francis's health, not the King's, and the rest of the visit to Italy is expected to proceed as planned. While further health issues cannot be ruled out, the message from Buckingham Palace is that the King is expected to resume his normal schedule next week. Buckingham Palace stated this week that the King's broader state visit to Italy is also scheduled to proceed in April, but there will be some modifications to the planned itinerary. Buckingham Palace has never revealed what type of cancer the King has. He returned to public duties last April after a period of treatment and recuperation.