A timeline of King Charles' health struggles, from his cancer diagnosis to his recent hospital stay

On January 17, 2024, the palace shared in a statement with Business Insider that Charles would be heading to the hospital to receive treatment for an enlarged prostate.

At the time, the palace described Charles' condition as "benign" and said the procedure he was having was "common with thousands of men each year."

When asked to provide further details about the condition and the procedure, the palace said it would not "for privacy reasons" and that more information about his coming engagements would be confirmed "in due course."

The announcement came the same day Kensington Palace announced Kate was in recovery after a "planned abdominal surgery."

On February 5, 2024, less than a month after the king's prostate procedure, the palace made yet another unprecedented announcement: Charles has cancer.

The palace didn't specify the form of cancer Charles was diagnosed with in the statement shared with BI. However, it said the monarch's medical team discovered the cancer while he was undergoing his prostate procedure.

It added that Charles had already begun a "schedule of regular treatments" and was under advice to step back from "public-facing duties," though he would also be continuing "State business and official paperwork as usual."

The statement concluded with the palace saying Charles was "grateful" for his medical team's "swift intervention" and was looking forward to returning to "full public duty as soon as possible."

"His Majesty has chosen to share his diagnosis to prevent speculation and in the hope it may assist public understanding for all those around the world who are affected by cancer," it added.

In the months after Charles' diagnosis, the royal kept busy behind the scenes. Shortly after his condition was made public, a representative of Prince Harry told BI that he was scheduled to fly to the UK from California to see his father.

Weeks later, he was pictured meeting with then-British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and opening get-well-soon cards sent to the palace by members of the public.

In the interim, Charles also received treatment at the same clinic as Kate, whom he remained in the "closest contact with," a palace spokesperson told the BBC.

On March 28, 2024, Charles made his first public remarks post-diagnosis. In a pre-recorded audio clip shared at the Royal Maundy Service before Easter Sunday, he said it was "a great sadness" that he was unable to attend in person due to his condition and stressed the importance of extending "friendship" in times of need, Royal Central reported.

On Easter Sunday 2024, Charles was spotted alongside Camilla attending a service at St George's Chapel in Windsor. The service was smaller to reduce Charles' contact with others while undergoing treatment.

After a "period of treatment and recuperation" following his cancer diagnosis, the palace said on April 26, 2024, that Charles was gearing up to return to public-facing duties "shortly."

The statement added that one of the first of several public events he was set to appear at was a visit to a cancer treatment center with Queen Camilla on April 30, 2024.

"In addition, The King and Queen will host Their Majesties The Emperor and Empress of Japan for a State Visit in June," the statement read.

As Charles approached the one-year mark following his coronation on May 6, 2023, the statement concluded by saying he and Camilla are "deeply grateful for the many kindnesses and good wishes they have received from around the world throughout the joys and challenges of the past year."

On May 13, 2024, the king visited the Army Flying Museum in Hampshire, where LBC reported he spoke with a British military veteran who had undergone chemotherapy after being diagnosed with testicular cancer.

During the interaction, the individual, whom the UK news outlet identified as Aaron Mapplebeck, told Charles he lost his ability to taste as a result of the cancer treatment, a side effect that the king said he'd also experienced.

On the same day, Charles took part in a ceremony handing over his title as the Colonel-in-Chief of the Army Air Corps — a role he has held for over 30 years — to William.

The BBC reported that it was "unusual" for both the king and William to be present for the occasion, but Charles told attendees they were in good hands with his eldest son, who used to be a search-and-rescue helicopter pilot.

"I do hope you'll go from strength to strength in the future with the Prince of Wales as your new colonel-in-chief," Charles said. "The great thing is he's a very good pilot indeed. So that's encouraging."

In October 2024, Charles and Camilla took an 11-day royal tour to Australia and Samoa.

Ahead of the trip, the Daily Mail reported that the king would pause cancer treatments during the overseas visit and restart his treatment course upon his return.

As the visit ended, a senior spokesperson for the palace told outlets like The Guardian and Town & Country that they were planning for Charles to take on normal travel in 2025.

"We're now working on a pretty normal-looking full overseas tour programme for next year," the spokesperson said. "Which is a high for us to end on, to know that we can be thinking in those terms, subject to signoff by doctors."

Trump and William met in Paris during the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral in December 2024.

After their visit, Trump told the New York Post he spoke to William about Kate and Charles' health.

"I asked him about his wife, and he said she's doing well," Trump told the outlet. "And I asked him about his father, and his father is fighting very hard, and he loves his father and he loves his wife, so it was sad."

On December 20, a royal source shared with ABC News that the king's treatment was ongoing.

The unnamed source described Charles' cancer as a "managed condition" to the outlet and said that "the treatment is heading in a positive direction, and King Charles will continue with his busy schedule."

On Thursday, Buckingham Palace said in a statement that King Charles briefly went to the hospital as a result of side effects from his cancer treatment.

"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," the statement said. "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," the statement continued.

The statement did not specify the king's temporary side effects. While recovering at Clarence House, he missed three visits with ambassadors on Thursday and a trip to Birmingham on Friday.

"His Majesty would like to send his apologies to all those who may be inconvenienced or disappointed as a result," the statement also said.

King Charles was also photographed leaving Clarence House in a car on Friday, as shown above. He waved to members of the public from the vehicle.