King Charles briefly hospitalised after suffering side effects from cancer treatment

LONDON: King Charles III was briefly hospitalized on Thursday after suffering side effects from his cancer treatment, according to a statement released by Buckingham Palace, The New York Times reported.

The palace said that Charles (76) has now returned to his residence in London, Clarence House, and all his public schedule for Friday would be cancelled as a precaution.

In February last year, the King said that he has been diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer and has been undergoing treatment since then.

The palace did not mention the nature of the side effects. However, they said they were temporary and “required a short period of observation in hospital.”

In recent months, King Charles has been following a vigorous schedule, playing host to leaders from abroad, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and visiting an aircraft carrier, the HMS Prince of Wales.

The palace has not given any updates on his prognosis or the nature of his treatment. His cancer was detected during surgery for an enlarged prostate in February last year. The palace has said that he does not have prostate cancer but did not share any details regarding his illness.

Meanwhile, King Charles’ daughter-in-law, the Princess of Wales, who was also diagnosed with cancer last year, announced in January that she was cancer-free after several months of chemotherapy.

The palace has said that King Charles’ recovery continued on a positive track and that the side effects were not unusual for patients receiving treatment, The New York Times reported. Palace officials said they did not expect Charles to make major changes to his schedule, which includes travelling to other nations and domestic travel.

King Charles plans to travel to Italy in April for a state visit. Earlier this week, the palace announced that he and his wife, Queen Camilla, would not visit Pope Francis at the Vatican as Francis is still recovering from pneumonia and a severe respiratory illness.

In a statement, the palace said, “His Majesty was due to receive credentials from the ambassadors of three different nations this afternoon.” It further said, “Tomorrow, he was due to undertake four public engagements in Birmingham and is greatly disappointed to be missing them on this occasion.”

The statement reads, “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.”
In recent months, King Charles has returned to an active schedule, including a nine-day visit to Australia and Samoa last year, The New York Times reported. However, the palace did not rule out further minor adjustments to his schedule, which it said would be made after consultation with his doctors. Officials said that the UK monarch enjoyed his public duties and that they contributed to his well-being. (ANI)