Britain’s King Charles III has cancelled his scheduled engagements for Thursday and Friday due to experiencing “side effects” from his ongoing cancer treatment, Buckingham Palace announced.
In a statement released on Thursday, the palace said, “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.”
The palace further noted that the 76-year-old monarch had since returned to his residence at Clarence House. “As a precautionary measure, acting on medical advice, tomorrow’s (Friday’s) diary programme will also be rescheduled,” the statement added.
According to BBC sources, the king experienced temporary and relatively common side effects, described as a minor setback in his recovery. Despite this, the PA news agency reported that Charles was in good spirits at home, continuing to work on state papers and making calls from his study.
Charles became king following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, on September 8, 2022. Breaking from the traditional palace silence on personal health matters, Charles publicly disclosed his cancer diagnosis in February 2024, though the specific type of cancer remains undisclosed. The palace has stated that his treatment is expected to continue into 2025.
In the statement, Buckingham Palace conveyed the monarch’s regret, saying, “The monarch would like to send his apologies to all those who may be inconvenienced or disappointed as a result.”
The king was originally scheduled to receive the credentials from ambassadors of three different countries on Thursday, followed by four engagements planned for Friday in Birmingham.
Charles’s coronation took place in May 2023, marking the first coronation in Britain in seven decades. The event also crowned Queen Camilla, his wife of nearly 20 years, solidifying her position after the challenges and controversies of Charles’s first marriage to Princess Diana.
Despite the recent health setback, it is understood that Charles and Camilla’s planned trip to Italy in early April will proceed as scheduled. However, no new dates have been confirmed for the postponed meeting with Pope Francis at the Vatican, initially planned for the start of the April trip. The meeting was rescheduled following the pontiff’s doctors’ advice.
Earlier this year, King Charles sent a letter to Pope Francis when the 88-year-old pontiff was hospitalised with pneumonia in both lungs. After nearly 40 days in Rome’s Gemelli hospital, Pope Francis was discharged on Sunday.
Since publicly revealing his cancer diagnosis, Charles has aimed to maintain transparency, with Buckingham Palace stating that he wished to be open to “prevent speculation and in the hope it may assist public understanding for all those around the world who are affected by cancer.”
The king resumed his duties within two and a half months of his diagnosis, gradually increasing his workload throughout 2024. This included several foreign trips, even reaching destinations as far as Australia and Samoa.
Catherine, Princess of Wales, who is married to Prince William, Charles’s eldest son, also revealed earlier this year that she is in remission after her own cancer diagnosis last year.
The king’s openness reflects his desire for a modern, transparent, and slimmed-down monarchy, aiming to keep the institution relevant, particularly among younger Britons. However, his reign has been overshadowed by tensions with his younger son, Prince Harry, and daughter-in-law Meghan Markle, following their move to the United States and the release of Harry’s autobiography Spare and a controversial Netflix series.
As well as being the head of the Church of England, King Charles also leads the 56-nation Commonwealth, representing about a quarter of the world’s population.