King Charles Is Back to Public Duties Less Than One Week After Hospitalization

Less than a week after his brief hospitalization due to side effects of his ongoing cancer treatment, King Charles welcomed the U.K.’s best and brightest to Windsor Castle for an investiture ceremony.

Though this is a return to front-facing work for the King, it has been reported that as soon as Thursday evening—just hours after his March 27 hospitalization at The London Clinic—Charles was working at his desk at home at Clarence House. His minor health scare forced the monarch to cancel engagements in Birmingham on March 28, and after a weekend of rest at his country home, Highgrove, the King returned to his normal schedule of work this week, including the aforementioned investiture on April 1.

This marks Charles’ first official appearance since his hospitalization, though he was seen in public on March 28 riding in a car. According to People, the King is “pacing himself” before he and Queen Camilla depart for a royal tour of Italy on April 7, with the outlet citing palace officials as saying that “some engagements for the end of this week have been moved.”

In addition to the investiture ceremony on Tuesday, Charles is expected to also have his weekly in-person meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and is also expected to take part in “outings in London,” according to People.

Charles and Camilla’s royal tour will begin on Monday, and will include their milestone 20th wedding anniversary on April 9. One part of the trip will not take place as planned, though—following Pope Francis’ own health issues that left him hospitalized for 38 days, the King and Queen will no longer be meeting with the Pope at the Vatican as previously planned, as the Pope has been advised to rest. The King and Queen “are believed to have sent him their best wishes for his recuperation,” People reported. 

Awards & Events People, the Green Man Humpty Dumpty Egg installation is part of an art project being put on in support of the Elephant Family, set up by Camilla’s late brother Mark Shand. Both Charles and Camilla are patrons of the organization, and the egg at Buckingham Palace was painted by Alice Springs, who was commissioned by the King and Queen. It is installed by the King’s Gallery and Politics & Social Issues Big Egg Hunt, which sees more than 120 giant egg sculptures make up a trail across London, according to People.