King Charles Hospitalized — Details
Royal plans shifted this week as the 76-year-old monarch made a brief hospital visit — without Queen Camilla. Buckingham Palace later issued a statement.
King Charles III visited The London Clinic on Thursday after experiencing temporary side effects from cancer treatment, according to The Sun on March 27. Buckingham Palace confirmed that he returned to Clarence House the same day and postponed engagements scheduled for both Thursday and Friday.
A Palace spokesperson 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.”
Officials said it wasn’t an emergency and the King went by car, not an ambulance. Sources reportedly described the episode as “a most minor bump in a road” and said his treatment is “very much heading in the right direction.” The Palace added that side effects like these are common.
Following medical advice, Charles postponed four public events in Birmingham and several diplomatic meetings, including a ceremony to receive credentials from ambassadors of three countries.
The King expressed regret over missing the scheduled engagements. “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,” the spokesperson added.
By Thursday evening, the King had reportedly returned to work, reviewing state papers and making official calls from his study at Clarence House. Queen Camilla did not accompany him to the hospital and remained at Clarence House. The Palace gave no further details about her schedule.
While some adjustments may be made to Charles’s upcoming engagements, the Palace still expects the State Visit to Italy in April to proceed as planned.
The hospital visit came shortly after senior members of the royal family gathered at Westminster Abbey for the annual Commonwealth Day service.
On March 10, during the ceremony, Charles was seen warmly greeting his eldest son, Prince William, with a kiss on the cheek. However, he did not share a similar exchange with Princess Catherine, prompting online speculation about the nature of their brief interaction.
A circulating clip captures the moment, showing Charles turning his back on Catherine after greeting William. Following his interaction with his father, William proceeded to greet Queen Camilla while the King appeared to move on, standing in line without acknowledging his daughter-in-law.
However, Princess Catherine appeared unbothered by Charles’s actions. She maintained a warm smile and stood poised in line, ready for the start of the ceremony. Still, some viewers couldn’t help but notice the awkward exchange between Charles and Catherine, and they didn’t hold back their thoughts.
One person pointed out, “Honestly, Charles doesn’t look like he even cares much for Williams [sic] greeting. That whole little moment is kinda uncomfortable to watch.” Another was more direct, stating, “He totally ignored her.”
According to one fan, this occurrence wasn’t an isolated incident. The fan claimed, “This isn’t the first time he has snubbed Kate Middleton.”
Someone else concurred, focusing on the body language, “The kings has his back turned again [sic].” And one shocked viewer wondered, “Did Charles not care to look at Catherine? Not even a blown kiss?”
Not everyone was quick to judge as one individual speculated, “Maybe he is sicker than we are allowed to know and she did not want to give him her germs. Unless the king was getting kissed by all and sundry, i think this is an indication about how sick he really is [sic].”
One more fan pointed out that Charles not acknowledging Catherine may have been unintentional, as the greetings occurred when the royals were busy lining up for the cathedral procession.
Last year, Catherine and King Charles III missed the Commonwealth Day service, a significant event in the royal calendar, after being diagnosed with cancer. This time, they were both in attendance.