King Charles faced a setback in his cancer treatment when he was briefly hospitalized and forced to cancel his regular schedule of royal engagements on March 27. While The King continued to take it slow last week, his health scare has raised bigger concerns about whether the monarch is taking on too much—and according to one royal author, there's a sole member of the Royal Family who can talk sense into the workaholic King.
“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,” a spokesperson for Buckingham Palace stated via the BBC on Thursday, March 27. The monarch canceled all of his royal engagements for two days following the incident and was photographed Friday leaving London for his country retreat, Highgrove House.
The King has long enjoyed his time at Highgrove—especially in the property's gardens—and it likely served as a restful weekend escape. However, according to the Sun, Charles has canceled "an African spa retreat" with The Queen along with "his annual walking holiday in Romania" due to his health.
Royal expert Phil Dampier told the Sun that "King Charles has always worked hard and is renowned for burning midnight oil and even falling asleep at his desk working so many hours. But those days must be a thing of the past and it’s vital he looks after his health and cuts down his workload." Dampier added, "He needs to pace himself—which the Queen has said he is hopeless at doing—and she is probably the only person he will listen to."
Queen Camilla has been a strong influence in The King's life when it has come to his recovery, even convincing the monarch—who famously never ate lunch—to add in some extra sustenance in his diet. "With some reluctance, he now has something to eat at lunchtime—a snack, really," a source told the Mail on Sunday. "He now eats half an avocado to sustain him through the day. It's important, particularly if you have got an illness."
But last summer, Camilla also told author Lee Child that her husband "won’t slow down and won’t do what he’s told." The King announced his cancer diagnosis in February 2024, but it wasn't long before he was back to a regular schedule of duties. While his work ethic is commendable, Queen Camilla is said to be worried that King Charles isn't giving himself enough time to rest.
"She has been trying to encourage him to slow down," a source told the Daily Beast last year. "Of course, he wants to keep cracking on, but she is afraid that doing too much could set him back."
However, when it comes to their upcoming trip to Italy, it seems like there will be no slowing down. Per a palace source via People, the April 7 trip is "still set to go ahead." However, The King's schedule is being slightly modified to "allow a suitable period of rest" before the international visit.
