View In Browser

By CNN Royal Correspondent Max Foster and Lauren Said-Moorhouse in London

Chris Jackson/Getty Images

King Charles was said to be in good form on Thursday night after experiencing some side effects from a scheduled cancer treatment in the morning.  

Buckingham Palace released an unexpected statement letting us know that the monarch had “required a short period of observation in hospital” but was now back at his Clarence House home in central London. He has canceled his engagements for Friday. 

A royal source described it as “the most minor bump in the road that’s very much heading in the right direction.” 

The King’s recovery is continuing to proceed in a positive direction and the unspecified side effects he experienced on Thursday are temporary and not uncommon with many medical treatments, royal sources told CNN. 

Queen Camilla did not accompany Charles for the brief visit to the London Clinic, the same private hospital near Regent’s Park where he underwent a procedure for an enlarged prostate in January 2024. The King revealed he had been diagnosed with an unspecified form of cancer a month later.  

While sources have stressed that Thursday’s unspecified side effects were a minor blip, there’s always going to be concern from people around the country when the King’s health is mentioned. 

Charles was working from home on Thursday evening, and we understand he’s found carrying out state business and daily engagements of great benefit to his overall wellbeing in recent months.  

One thing you may be wondering is if this might affect his upcoming state visit to Italy in 10 days’ time. Earlier this week, a trip to the Vatican was postponed as Pope Francis continues to recuperate from his recent illness, but the visit to Italy is still expected to go ahead. 

Head over to CNN to read more on this story. 

Prince Harry ‘in shock’ after quitting as patron of his charity. 

The 40-year-old duke said he was “in shock” after quitting as a patron of Sentebale, a British charity he set up to help young people with HIV and AIDS in Lesotho and Botswana, following a row between trustees and the chair of the board. He co-founded Sentebale in 2006 in honor of his mother, Princess Diana, with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho. The pair and the board of trustees left Sentebale following a dispute with chair Sophie Chandauka, who has taken legal action to try to retain her position. In a joint statement with his co-founder, Harry said on Wednesday that it was “with heavy hearts” that they had resigned from their roles “until further notice.” They continued, “Although we may no longer be patrons, we will always be its founders, and we will never forget what this charity is capable of achieving when it is in the right care.” Read our full story here. 

Brian Otieno/Getty Images

Queen Camilla visits Charles Dickens’ London house. 

It’s no secret that Queen Camilla has a love for literature and this week she carried out an engagement she will have adored. On Wednesday, she visited the London home of famed English writer Charles Dickens, as the property – which is now a museum – celebrates 100 years since it was opened to the public. Camilla was joined by three of Dickens’ descendants as she toured the place where he lived between 1837 and 1839 and wrote some of his most-loved works including "The Pickwick Papers,” “Oliver Twist” and “Nicholas Nickleby.” During the visit, a selection of letters written by Dickens were performed by actors Simon Callow and Miriam Margolyes, both of whom are patrons of the museum. Back in 1923 the property was saved from demolition by the Dickens Fellowship. Two years later, it was opened as The Dickens House and a century later boasts a collection of more than 100,000 items spanning the author’s life and beyond. “Few figures in our literary history have created works that have had such a lasting impact,” said Sandra Lynes Timbrell, chairwoman of the museum’s board of trustees, in a speech to volunteers and supporters, according to Britain’s PA Media news agency.  

Jaimi Joy/WPA Pool/Getty Images

Prince William brought British baking royalty Mary Berry to tears this week with a surprise message to mark her 90th birthday. Her very special milestone was being celebrated with an appearance on the BBC’s “The One Show” on Monday with several famous British faces sending in their best wishes. The Prince of Wales kicked off proceedings with a selfie video in which he called Berry “a true national treasure” and said that he and wife, Catherine, have “loved working with you over the years.” Mary, who was caught off-guard by the heartfelt message, described the prince’s video as “an honor.” Watch the moment here.  

Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Aaron Chown/PA Wire

Princess Beatrice has opened up about the “humbling” experience of her second daughter’s premature birth in an article for British Vogue. Athena Elizabeth Rose Mapelli Mozzi was born on January 22, weighing four pounds and five ounces. Penning her reflections, Beatrice wrote that “nothing quite prepares you for the moment when you realise your baby is going to arrive early. There’s so little control.” The 36-year-old royal was recently announced as the patron of British medical charity Borne, a premature birth research organization, and is using her platform to emphasize the value of research into female health.  
 
She revealed that "routine scans” made her and husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, aware that "our precious cargo needed close monitoring” and they were encouraged to prepare for an early arrival. The royal also reflected on the universality of pregnancy, irrespective of who you are or where you’ve come from. “Like countless other expectant mums, I lay awake in the weeks leading up to birth, trying to monitor each movement of the baby in my tummy and asking myself a thousand times: ‘What if this happens, or what if that happens?’” she continued. Read more from Beatrice here.  

"Your reporting, and the work of all those who support you, helps amplify and reaffirm the rights and responsibilities we all share. It shines a light in dark corners, exposing injustice and wrongdoing. Above all, it helps strengthen our communities, in times of joy and at moments of sorrow."

– King Charles III

The British monarch paid tribute to the UK’s regional media industry on Wednesday, hosting a glitzy reception at Buckingham Palace. In a message to all those who work in the sector, Charles explained his long-standing belief of the “unique and vital role” local media plays. He acknowledged that “you won’t always get it right” as “a free media is one that will and does make mistakes;” however, he continued, “at its best, it is a cornerstone of our democracy.”