King Charles cancels appointments after ‘side effects’ from cancer treatment: palace

“His Majesty has now returned to Clarence House and, as a precautionary measure, acting on medical advice, tomorrow’s diary programme will also be rescheduled.

“His Majesty would like to send his apologies to all those who may be inconvenienced or disappointed as a result.”

Common effects

The side effects experienced by the King are understood to have been temporary and not uncommon.

While unplanned, his hospital visit was brief, and only a few adjustments have been made to his diary.

Minor changes to next week’s diary remain possible, but a state visit to Italy the week after next, taking in Rome and Ravenna, is expected to go ahead as planned.

The King travelled to and from the hospital by car and was not accompanied by the Queen, who had been conducting her own engagements in Wembley, northwest London, earlier in the day.

He was said to be in good form at home at Clarence House on Thursday evening, where he was continuing to work on state papers and make calls from his study.

A palace spokesperson said on Thursday evening: “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 be rescheduled in due course and offers his deepest apologies to all those who had worked so hard to make the planned visit possible.”

Buckingham Palace announced in February last year that the King had been diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer after treatment for an enlarged prostate and was having weekly treatment.

Since returning to public-facing duties last Easter, he has continued with a full programme of events, including state visits to Australia and Samoa in October.

The King and Queen were forced to postpone a visit to the Vatican this week after medics advised that Pope Francis, who had been suffering from pneumonia, required extended rest and recuperation.

The royal couple had been due to attend an audience with the Pope in a show of friendship between the Anglican and Catholic Churches, widely seen as a “historic first”.

They had expected the audience to go ahead as recently as last week but have now postponed their plans based on the Pope’s latest medical advice.

The King is often affectionately described as a workaholic, and aides have noted that maintaining a busy schedule has been “of great benefit to his overall wellbeing”.

Since his cancer diagnosis, the Queen has repeatedly voiced frustrations that he has been working too hard, joking on one engagement last year that he was getting better, or “would be if he behaved himself”.

However, palace sources have stressed that the King’s diary is developed in full consultation with his medical team at all stages to protect and prioritise his recovery.

The King has expressed deep gratitude for the outpouring of public support since his diagnosis and the kind words of the many he has met during engagements.

On a visit to Northern Ireland last week, he shared advice with fellow cancer patients, telling them: “What’s that Winston Churchill saying? Keep buggering on.”

While visiting the Pharmacy and Pharmacology Department at Ulster University, he asked people living with cancer whether they were managing to “survive the side effects all right”.

“You just have to push on, don’t you,” he said.

No further updates expected

The palace is not expecting to provide further updates on the King’s hospital visit beyond any potential changes to his diary.

The public statement was issued after consultation with staff and doctors about whether the Birmingham visit should proceed.

In December, Buckingham Palace sources revealed that the King’s cancer treatment would continue this year but was “moving in a positive direction”.

Aides insisted there had been no change to his condition and that it was simply a case of maintaining “the very encouraging status quo”.

The King was treated at The London Clinic at the same time as his daughter-in-law, the Princess of Wales, who had major abdominal surgery.

Both the King and the Princess were discharged from the hospital last year on January 29 – the monarch waving as he left via the front door while the Princess was spirited home unseen.

Both were said to be well and their respective treatments successful.

However, both would later learn that cancer had been found during or after surgery.

Buckingham Palace announced on February 6 that the King had an undisclosed form of the disease.

He immediately began a course of regular treatment and public engagements were postponed on medical advice.

However, he remained “wholly positive” and continued working from home.

Meanwhile, the Princess retreated from the public eye as she underwent a course of “preventative chemotherapy”. She announced last September that she had completed her treatment and later revealed she was in remission.