King Charles has postponed a string of engagements he had been due to carry out today in Birmingham following a short period in hospital after suffering side effects from his cancer treatment
King Charles cancelled engagements today following a brief trip to hospital after experiencing side effects from his cancer treatment. But the decision to postpone several meetings and a trip to Birmingham today would not have been taken lightly.
The King is known for being a workaholic, and even Queen Camilla said after his cancer diagnosis that he “won’t slow down and won’t do what he’s told”. She told author Lee Child at her Reading Room literary festival last year that her husband was “doing fine” but was not heeding her advice. Yesterday, the King “required a short period of observation in hospital” after experiencing side effects from his cancer treatment. A source described it as a “most minor bump in a road that is very much heading in the right direction”.
Following his return from hospital to Clarence House, Charles was said to be working on state papers and making calls from his study yesterday evening. He is now believed to have headed to his Highgrove home in Gloucestershire for the weekend.
When the monarch underwent a procedure on an enlarged prostate before being diagnosed with cancer last year, his wife urged him to slow down and reduce his workload. But his nephew Peter Phillips said the King was ‘frustrated’ that his recovery after cancer treatment was taking longer than he wanted, and that he was ‘pushing’ his staff to return to his duties. He returned to public-facing events in April. Camilla has described Charles, now 76 as “not one for chilling”.
Prince Harry once recalled how his father would sometimes fall asleep at his desk and wake up with a piece of paper stuck to his face. And Lady Sophie Windsor revealed: “You see how he works all day long, has a quick supper and then disappears until about 4am to write letters. He cares about so many things and he comes up with brilliant solutions.”
Charles was the longest serving heir to the throne in British history, and faced the formidable task of succeeding his much-revered mother the late Queen Elizabeth II in 2022. His cancer diagnosis early in 2024 marked the start of what his eldest son the Prince of Wales described as the most “brutal” year with the Princess of Wales also being diagnosed with cancer.
The King has had a busy run of engagements in the past few weeks including high-profile diplomatic audiences with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, a three-day trip to Northern Ireland and packed Palace receptions, amid preparations for the tour to Italy.
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.
“He very much hopes that they can rescheduled in due course and offers his deepest apologies to all those who had worked so hard to make the planned visit possible.”
