I keep going back and forth about how serious this situation is with King Charles. Charles was hospitalized last Thursday, but he didn’t stay in the hospital overnight. They sent him back to Clarence House to rest, and on Friday, he was driven to Highgrove, where he spent the weekend alone (except for his household staff). Queen Camilla stayed at her private home, Ray Mill, this weekend (according to the Times). The reason for the hospitalization and medically-advised rest period was some kind of side effect of Charles’s cancer treatments, which are ongoing more than one year after his diagnosis. Buckingham Palace really went on a briefing spree this weekend to emphasize how hard Charles works at his age:
A friend of the King said: “He’s got a puritanical work ethic. It goes beyond any concept of a ‘working week’. He doesn’t understand the concept of downtime. In a world where he has had difficult times in terms of public perception and popularity, work has always been his protection and safe space. Even at his worst times, it has been an anchor for him. It goes deeper than people realise. If you work for him, the only time in the week you can relax is 11am on a Sunday when he will be at church. Other than that, you need to be ready from 8am until midnight, when he might call you at any time.”
The “minor bump”, as royal sources described last week’s “short period of observation” in the London Clinic after he suffered side-effects from his scheduled treatment on Thursday, will have frustrated him. The afternoon’s engagements and a day trip to Birmingham on Friday had to be cancelled.
But the King remains reluctant to entertain any idea of easing his diary. As one of his closest confidants told me: “He just really doesn’t feel as if he’s ‘being King’ if he’s not out there actually doing it all. That’s what drives him.”
“If you work for him, the only time in the week you can relax is 11am on a Sunday when he will be at church. Other than that, you need to be ready from 8am until midnight, when he might call you at any time.” But… but… bullying?? 5 am emails?? Toxic workplace?? Mean boss?? I guess those kinds of coded insults and smears are lodged at a Black woman. When it’s a white dude, it’s all about his “Puritanical work ethic.” Speaking of, the Sun reported this weekend that Charles’s medical situation is so dire, he had to cancel… two vacations.
The King has cancelled two holidays abroad as he continues to have cancer treatment following his hospital dash. He pulled out of a planned trip with Queen Camilla to an African spa retreat and his annual walking holiday in Romania. His Majesty, 76, is resting at his countryside home Highgrove this weekend after being taken to hospital on Thursday suffering side effects of his treatment. It meant he was forced to cancel engagements in both London and Birmingham on Thursday and Friday. It comes more than a year after he was diagnosed with an unspecified type of cancer.
Now The Sun on Sunday can reveal the King was due to join Camilla on a short trip to a luxury spa resort in Africa earlier this month — but was forced to pull out only days in advance. He is also postponing his annual visit to Romania in the spring — which usually involves arduous countryside walking.
An insider said: “Charles is a hardworking King, but he needs and deserves occasional time off. It was unfortunate that he couldn’t fly with Camilla, as it was hoped they could have a well-earned break together. He adores Romania and looks forward to visiting every year, but it would have involved just too much walking and he can’t face it right now.”
His Majesty has also given up his annual skiing trip with pals to Klosters, in Switzerland. He went there almost every spring for 45 years, but stopped ahead of his Coronation in 2023, amid fears he could get injured.
Wait… are they saying that Camilla went to a luxury spa resort in Africa in early March and no one knew? It wasn’t announced or reported? That’s what it sounds like – Charles and Camilla were supposed to slip away to a spa together, but Camilla ended up going alone. As for Romania… he usually goes to Romania alone and Camilla vacations somewhere else. He could have just gone to Romania and NOT gone for long, arduous walks, but what do I know.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.
