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King Charles smiled and waved at well-wishers as he was seen in public for the first time since it was revealed he had been in hospital over side-effects from his cancer treatment.
Charles, 76, left Clarence House in London on Friday morning in a black Audi to travel to his Highgrove estate in Gloucestershire, it is understood.
He went into hospital on Thursday after experiencing “temporary side-effects” from his medical treatment for cancer, Buckingham Palace said. He attended the London Clinic, the same hospital where he was treated for an enlarged prostate in January 2024.
A source described it as a “most minor bump in a road that is very much heading in the right direction”.
The monarch underwent scheduled treatment on Thursday morning for cancer that required “a short period of observation in hospital”, according to a palace statement. The king had been due to meet ambassadors in audiences at Buckingham Palace on Thursday afternoon and to travel to Birmingham on Friday, but these were postponed.
“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,” a spokesperson said.
The king sent his apologies to “all those who may be inconvenienced or disappointed” as a result of his decision to postpone his engagements, the statement added.
After he returned home to Clarence House, the king was said to be on good form, and was reported to be working on state papers and making calls from his study.
Sources told PA Media the hospital visit was not a major development and no further updates were expected on the king’s health. If any minor alterations to his diary next week were needed, they would be announced in due course, they said.
The king has had a full week of engagements, including a media reception and a visit to a soil exhibition. Last week, the king made a three-day visit to Northern Ireland with Queen Camilla. Earlier this month, he hosted political figures including the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the outgoing Canadian prime minister, Justin Trudeau, and the new Canadian PM, Mark Carney. It is understood that a state visit to Italy due in 10 days’ time will go ahead as planned.
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It was announced in February 2024 that Charles had been diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer. He returned to public-facing duties in April while still undergoing weekly treatment. In December last year, the palace said the king’s treatment had been “moving in a positive direction and as a managed condition, the treatment cycle will continue into next year”.
When asked how he was during a visit that month to Walthamstow, north-east London, the king smiled as he replied: “I’m still alive.”
