King cancels engagements after hospital visit

Thanks for following our coverage on the King's "short period of observation in hospital" after experiencing side effects from his cancer treatment.

Sources have stressed the hospital visit was not a major development and no further updates are expected on the King's health.

Charles was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer in February 2024 and returned to public-facing duties in April last year despite still undergoing weekly treatment.

He has had a busy run of engagements this month, including a reception for media on Wednesday evening.

But he has cancelled an away day to Birmingham on Friday to prioritise his recovery as a precautionary measure and is now back at Clarence House. 

A spokeswoman for Sir Keir Starmer has said that Sir Keir Starmer "wishes His Majesty the King all the very best" after he required a short period in hospital after experiencing side effects from his cancer treatment.

As we have been reporting. the specifics of the King's side effects have not been disclosed but they are understood to be temporary and not uncommon with many medical treatments.

He is now recovering at Clarence House.

The announcement that King Charles required a short stay in hospital is being reflected on Friday's front pages.

Charles was due to meet ambassadors in audiences at Buckingham Palace on Thursday afternoon, but these were postponed, as was a trip to Birmingham.

Aides say this is a "bump in the road" and that overall, the King's progress is heading in the right direction.

As we have been reporting this evening, King Charles spent a brief time under observation in hospital today after experiencing side effects from treatment for cancer.

Here is what we know...

• The 76-year-old monarch has been undergoing treatment since he was diagnosed with an unspecified form of cancer in February last year following tests after a corrective procedure for an enlarged prostate;
• The palace said he has returned to his home Clarence House, and that as a precaution his engagements for Friday will be rescheduled;
• Tomorrow, he was due to undertake four public engagements in Birmingham;
• The palace has declined to give any details of the side effects;
• His state visit to Italy next month along with the Queen is expected to go ahead as planned.

As we reported earlier, the King attended a reception for media at Buckingham Palace yesterday after a visit to a soil exhibition in the day (see post at 10pm).

It came a week after he made a whirlwind three-day visit to Northern Ireland with Camilla, and earlier in March hosted high-profile audiences with key political figures including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, former Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau and new Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.

Here is a short clip of the King at yesterday's reception...

By Laura Bundock, royal correspondent

This news was unexpected, even though we've known the King is still undergoing treatment for his cancer.

It is also unusual for the King to cancel engagements, especially this day in Birmingham which will have been meticulously planned.

That said, the palace is keen to stress he should be back to work as normal next week, and there's no sense that this will have any effect on the upcoming state visit to Italy.

The King enjoys his work and won't be happy letting people down. Some have said his work is what has helped keep him going through his diagnosis.

Aides say this is a "bump in the road" and that overall, the King's progress is heading in the right direction.

But the fact they decided to make this announcement shows it was of some concern.  

It is also a reminder he remains a cancer patient, and with that, facing all the uncertainty and unpredictability the disease can present.

King Charles unveiled a plaque to commemorate his visit to Somerset House in London yesterday.

He also attended a reception at Buckingham Palace and spoke with guests from a wide range of media organisations across the country. 

Here are just a few images of the monarch yesterday...

Our royal commentator Alastair Bruce has been speaking with Sky's Yalda Hakim this evening following Buckingham Palace's announcement.

He says that he had been speaking with the monarch only two days ago when he was awarded with a Companion of the Order of the Bath and hearing the latest news is "really alarming".

"Literally two days ago, I was standing in front of him when he invested me with an insignia that I received in the New Year's honours and I had a fantastic conversation with him," he says.

"He was standing there for about an hour and a half, handing out honours and awards.

"He is maintaining as best he can all the challenges and tasks his role requires.

"Hearing this now, particularly as I was chatting with him just two days ago, is really alarming that he is dealing with this cancer treatment while he is trying to maintain his duties as sovereign.

"He is of an age where, if there is a setback, very sensibly doctors are giving the advice that they have.

"Like anyone else dealing with any form of medical discomfort, he will be want to get back to what they do, and he is no different."

We know that such issues like this are not particularly uncommon, our royal correspondent Laura Bundock says.

She says that following ongoing treatment for cancer, that he's been receiving for over a year now, the King did experience what's been described as "temporary side effects".

"We don't expect any major changes to his diary in the coming days and weeks, and of course with that Italian state visit due to go ahead in just under a week there's not expected to be any change to that," Bundock says.

"We're not expecting any further updates apart from what we've already received today."

Bundock notes that the news is "obviously a concern", but we are being "advised this isn't a major problem in terms of his ongoing recovery".

"For him, he will be undoubtedly disappointed. He's known to be a workaholic, he gets a lot out of his work."

A Buckingham Palace source has said the King 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," the source said.