What do we know about King Charles III's latest health scare?
Here's what we know about the 76-year-old British head of state's latest health scare.
LONDON - King Charles III on Friday waved to well-wishers after spending a "short period of observation in hospital" due to side effects from his cancer treatment, which forced him to cancel appointments.
Here's what we know about the 76-year-old British head of state's latest health scare.
Cancer
It was announced in February 2024 that the king had cancer, which was discovered during prostate surgery the previous month.
Buckingham Palace has never specified what type of cancer he is suffering from, only stating that it was not prostate cancer.
Treatment
The king has been receiving weekly treatment since his diagnosis, but the palace has never provided details of the regime, treading a careful balance between the monarch's right to privacy and his role as head of state.
The BBC quoted a palace source as saying that Thursday's episode was a "most minor bump in a road that is very much heading in the right direction".
Workload
The king gradually resumed his activities at the end of April 2024, two and a half months after announcing his cancer diagnosis, while continuing his treatment.
"I'm still alive," he joked before Christmas when asked about his health at a reception.
He had a busy schedule in March, notably visiting Northern Ireland for three days last week.
He received Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky earlier in the month, as well as outgoing Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his successor, Mark Carney.
He also welcomed around 400 members of the press to Wednesday's Buckingham Palace event in support of local news media.
Latest scare
Charles was receiving treatment on Thursday morning when the palace said he experienced "temporary side effects that required a short period of observation" at the London Clinic hospital, where he has been monitored since his diagnosis.
He drove back to his London residence at Clarence House shortly after, but on the advice of his doctors cancelled Thursday's engagements, which included receiving the credentials from the ambassadors of three different countries, "as a precautionary measure".
He also cancelled his four engagements scheduled for Friday, apologising "to all those who may be inconvenienced or disappointed as a result".
But he was reportedly "feeling good" on Thursday evening, working on his state papers and making several phone calls from Clarence House.
He left his residence by car on Friday morning, smiling and waving to the public.
Oncologist Pat Price told AFP on Friday that "these side effects of treatment can occur at any time".
"People out there with cancer will appreciate this, you hope things are going fine -- and in lots of ways they are going fine -- and you'll just have sometimes some side effects," she said.
"I'm sure he'll recover very quickly, but it's quite common."
Side effects can include "chills, fever, feeling unwell, feeling a bit nauseous".
"I think the messaging is things are going fine, so we wouldn't necessarily expect to see more of this," she added.
Future plans
The palace said the king "very much hopes" to reschedule the cancelled appointments "in due course" and his and wife Camilla's trip to Italy, scheduled for April 7-10, is expected to go ahead as planned.
However, his schedule may be slightly reduced in the coming days in order to prioritise the foreign trip. - AFP
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