FIT FOR A KING
Luxury London Clinic where Charles recovered from cancer treatment – boasting private chefs & raft of famous patients
It was the same hospital where the Princess of Wales had abdominal surgery
KING Charles is being treated at the luxurious London Clinic - where patients are served by an in-house chef.
The King "required a short period of observation in hospital" after experiencing side effects from his cancer treatment, Buckingham Palace has said.
9
9
9
The King visited the London Clinic on Thursday morning and travelled to and from the hospital by car.
He was not joined by the Queen during his brief stay.
Charles has cancelled an away day to Birmingham on Friday to prioritise his recovery as a precautionary measure and is now back at Clarence House.
The King, 76, was said to be on good form at his London home where he is working on state papers and making calls from his study.
Read more Royal News
The London Clinic was the same hospital where he was treated for an enlarged prostate in January last year, and also where the Princess of Wales had abdominal surgery the same month.
The clinic has long been a go-to hospital for the Royal Family and other establishment figures.
It opened in 1932 and has previously admitted Prince Phillip and Princess Margaret.
Patients get their own concierge service, and the hospital's chef serves fish from Cornish boats and meat from historic Smithfield Market.
Most read in Royals
Rooms have an electronic patient-controlled bed, en-suite bathroom, a safety deposit box, and a TV.
Besides the royals, the clinic's visitors have numbered Tinseltown starlets and prime ministers.
King Charles throws his support behind journalism hailing it as a ‘cornerstone of our democracy’
Lord Cameron, the former Prime Minister and current Foreign Secretary, was born there in 1966.
Anthony Eden, another Foreign Secretary and Prime Minister, attended the clinic for a cholecystectomy in 1953.
And Congressman and future President John F Kennedy was diagnosed with Addison's disease there in 1947.
Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet was arrested at the London Clinic in October 1998 for crimes against humanity.
9
9
9
Queen Camilla is the hospital's patron and her mother-in-law Queen Elizabeth II opened a £80m cancer centre there in 2010.
The hospital was formed by a group of doctors and officially opened by the Queen Mother - then the Duchess of York - in 1932.
It specialises in cancer, women’s health, urology, orthopaedics and robotic surgery.
The clinic can reportedly treat different 155 conditions, with hundreds of treatments, tests and scans available.
It also operates as a charity, reinvesting in research, education and innovation.
The hospital has about 23,000 inpatients a year, with a further 110,000 outpatients.
The building at 20 Devonshire Place has seven main operating theatres and three additional theatres.
It also boasts six specialist wards for surgeries in urology, gynaecology, thoracic surgery, orthopaedics and spinal procedures.
King 'required hospital observation'
Buckingham Palace said in a statement: "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.
"His Majesty's afternoon engagements were therefore 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.
"His Majesty would like to send his apologies to all those who may be inconvenienced or disappointed as a result".
Charles was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer in February 2024 and returned to public-facing duties in April despite still undergoing weekly treatment.
He has had a busy run of engagements this month, including a reception for media on Wednesday evening after a visit to a soil exhibition in the day, and is due to make a historic state visit to Italy in 10 days' time.
Timeline of Charles' health battle & recovery
JAN 17, 2024: Buckingham Palace announces the King has been diagnosed with enlarged prostate.
JAN 26: The Sun exclusively photograph the King arriving at The London Clinic for his 'corrective procedure'.
JAN 29: The King seen waving and smiling as he left hospital after an extra night.
FEB 5: Palace reveal while in hospital for his prostate operation doctors discovered the the King has a form of cancer.
FEB 10: King issues 'heartfelt thanks' in a written statement.
FEB 11: Charles makes his first public appearance since the announcement of his cancer diagnosis, visiting St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham, Norfolk.
MAR 31: King attends Easter Sunday service and tales part in 'walkabout' with members of the public and aides say 'it was a significant step' as KIng had 'responded to treatment very encouragingly'.
APR 4: The Sun exclusively reveals King has ordered aides to 'supercharge' his diary for the summer and is 'raring to go'.
APR 26: Buckingham Palace announce King will return to public-facing front-line duties.
APR 30: King Charles visits a cancer treatment centre with Queen Camila to meet patients and medical specialists in order to raise awareness of early diagnosis and the work of Cancer Research UK.
SEP 7: The King's health is said to be 'heading in a very positive trajectory' following a very 'stressful year' for the family.
OCT 18: King and Queen begin a landmark tour of Australia. The six-day trip to Canberra and Sydney was Charles' first to Australia as its head of state. Doctors gave permission to briefly halt his weekly cycle for the tour.
DEC 20: It is announced King's cancer treatment will continue into next year.
DEC 25: King uses his Christmas address to pay tribute to the 'selfless' doctors and nurses who provided 'strength, care and comfort' during cancer treatment for himself and the Princess of Wales.
DEC 31: Charles personally honours senior staff that had been on his medical team during his cancer treatment.
MAR 20, 2025: King Charles shared advice with cancer patients telling them to “keep b****ring on".
MAR 27: King taken into hospital after suffering from 'side effects' related to his cancer treatment. This 'short period of observation in hospital' was not unexpected and the monarch is still said to be 'very much heading in the right direction'.
It is understood the overseas tour with the Queen from April 7-10, which will see Charles become the first British sovereign to address both houses of the Italian parliament, is expected to go ahead as planned.
Last week, the King made a whirlwind three-day visit to Northern Ireland with Camilla, and earlier in March hosted high-profile audiences with key political figures including Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, outgoing Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau and new Canadian PM Mark Carney.
Charles, who is known for being a workaholic, is said to have thrived on carrying out public and state duties in recent months, seeing them as being of great benefit to his overall wellbeing.
His long-haul visit to Australia and Samoa last autumn was described at the time as the "perfect tonic" for the monarch.
Since his diagnosis last year, the King's diary of engagements is understood to have been developed in full consultation with his medical team at all stages to protect and prioritise his recovery.
Sources stressed the hospital visit was not a major development and no further updates are expected on the King's health, with any minor alterations to his diary that may be required next week being announced in due course.
It was hoped this year would be a fresh start for the royal family after they endured what the Prince of Wales called a "brutal" 2024 and probably "the hardest year of my life" with both the King and the Princess of Wales being diagnosed with cancer.
Kate is now in remission and is gradually returning to public duties.
The King was due to meet ambassadors in audiences at Buckingham Palace on Thursday afternoon but these were postponed due to his stay in hospital.
He also had a busy day planned in Birmingham on Friday, with four engagements back to back.
The specifics of the King's side effects have not been disclosed but they are understood to be temporary and not uncommon with many medical treatments.
The announcement from the Palace is understood to have been made late on Thursday because time was required for the King to consult his staff and medical team on his return to Clarence House.
It was decided on balance that it was wiser to cancel the visit to Birmingham as a precautionary measure.
A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said: "His Majesty was due to receive credentials from the ambassadors of three different nations this afternoon.
Read more on the Scottish Sun
"Tomorrow, he was due to undertake four public engagements in Birmingham, and is greatly disappointed to be missing them on this occasion.
"He very much hopes that they can rescheduled in due course and offers his deepest apologies to all those who had worked so hard to make the planned visit possible."
9
9
9