The King of the United Kingdom, King Charles III, briefly stayed in hospital on Thursday after experiencing temporary side effects from his ongoing cancer treatment, Buckingham Palace confirmed.
Following his short hospital visit, the 76-year-old monarch returned to Clarence House, where he resumed working on state papers.
However, on medical advice, he cancelled his planned visit to Birmingham on Friday, where he was scheduled to attend four public engagements.
According to the BBC, a Buckingham Palace spokesperson stated that meetings with three ambassadors on Thursday were also affected.
“Tomorrow, he was due to undertake four public engagements in Birmingham and is greatly disappointed to be missing them on this occasion,” the statement read.
“He 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.”
A palace source described the situation as a “most minor bump in a road that is very much heading in the right direction,” though no further details were given about the King’s side effects.
Queen Camilla, who attended a reception in Wembley, North London, did not accompany the King during his brief hospital stay. After the palace’s announcement, a spokeswoman for Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said he “wishes His Majesty the King all the very best.”
Despite the postponement of his Birmingham visit, the overall message from the palace remains one of reassurance.
The King travelled to the London Clinic in a car rather than an ambulance, and the late-night announcement was seen as a proactive measure to maintain transparency rather than allowing a last-minute cancellation to cause concern.
Since his cancer diagnosis was made public in February 2024, Charles has maintained a full schedule of engagements, showing no signs of slowing down. In recent weeks, he has visited Northern Ireland, launched a playlist of his favourite music, and attended the Commonwealth Day service, which he missed last year.
The King has also played a significant role in global diplomacy. After inviting United States President, Donald Trump for a second state visit to the UK, he later demonstrated support for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky following his difficult meeting with Trump at the White House.
Additionally, he warmly welcomed Mark Carney, Canada’s new prime minister, as Canada faces mounting pressure from the U.S.
While the postponement of the state visit to the Vatican was announced earlier this week, it was due to concerns over Pope Francis’s health rather than the King’s. The rest of his visit to Italy is expected to proceed as planned next month, with some adjustments.
