We haven’t heard much from Buckingham Palace about the health of King Charles III recently. That changed on Thursday, due to his being hospitalized briefly because of side effects from his cancer treatment.

A scheduled medical procedure was done on the 76-year-old monarch earlier in the morning. It was expected because of his continued care for cancer. After the treatment, he had minor complications that required a short stay at the hospital.

King Charles was monitored for a short amount of time and then discharged. Since then, he has returned to his residence in London, Clarence Else.

Any scheduled engagements that the king had for Thursday afternoon and Friday were postponed because of the hospitalization. In a statement, the palace said: “His Majesty would like to send his apologies to all those who may be inconvenienced or disappointed as a result.”

Charles was hospitalized for a planned procedure to treat an enlarged prostate in January 2024. While he was in the hospital, they detected an undisclosed type of cancer and he started his treatment on February 5. All in-person engagements were canceled at that time but he resumed his public duties in April 2024.

Throughout his cancer treatment, King Charles has remained positive and optimistic. He expresses appreciation for the support and care his medical team has provided.

Historically, the royal family would keep news like this private but the king has been trying to be transparent about his diagnosis. This is to keep speculation at a minimum and to encourage greater awareness of the public.

The king is still going through treatment for cancer as of March 2025 but he is also fulfilling his royal duties. As the longest-serving heir to the throne in British history while he was Prince of Wales, he eventually ascended to the throne on September 8, 2022. This was after his mother, Queen Elizabeth II passed away.

In addition, Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales spent two weeks in the hospital recovering from abdominal surgery in January. Initially, they did not find any signs of cancer but after further examination, cancer was detected.

Kate shared this in a recorded video statement, making acknowledgment of her health challenges and addressing the speculation that surrounded what was taking place with her health.

According to Prince William, 2024 was ‘brutal’ because of the cancer diagnosis and other issues that occurred.