King Charles 'raring to go' and looking forward to Italy after health scare

King Charles is “raring to go” and looking forward to spending four days in Italy next week after his health hiccup, royal sources have claimed. Charles and Camilla will arrive in Rome on Monday to kickstart their historic four-day state visit, which comes just 10 days after the 76-year-old monarch was admitted to hospital after experiencing temporary side effects of his cancer treatment.

He spent a brief time under observation and was forced to postpone a planned trip to Birmingham. Despite having to attend hospital, the King was said to have been on “good form” by the time he returned home to Clarence House, and carried out some work in his study that evening.

Royal sources downplayed it as a “minor bump in the road” and after a restful weekend at his countryside bolthole Highgrove, the King was back to work at Windsor Castle on Monday.

This week he resumed a near-normal schedule of events, including an investiture ceremony, two public engagements and his state duties.

“He looks to have been on very good form throughout the week,” says veteran royal commentator Phil Damper, adding: “He looked to be very happy to be doing the Investitures, particularly with old friends like Alan Titchmarsh. "He just loves meeting people, getting out and about.”

The gardener and broadcaster, who has been friends with the monarch for 40 years, was made a CBE at the ceremony, held at Windsor Castle on Tuesday. Afterwards he praised the King for his “boundless energy”, adding: "He is so energetic, he's not just a talker, he's a doer."

Double world heptathlon champion Katarina Johnson-Thompson, who was presented with an MBE, described the King as being in “good spirits” and said: “I’m happy to see that he’s fit and well.”

On Wednesday he held several audiences at Buckingham Palace, a Privy Council meeting and his usual weekly audience with the prime minister, before conducting two public engagements the following day.

His quick resumption of a busy schedule sent a positive message and will have reassured both the public and his top team that he’s more than capable of undertaking a trip to Europe on Monday.

Mr Dampier said: “It shows the zest of life he’s got at the moment and how much he wants to enjoy life to the absolute maximum.”

Royal sources have said the King is looking forward to spending four days in Italy, a country he has long loved and admired.

The trip, which will celebrate warm UK-Italian bilaterial relations, will see them pack in 17 engagements between them.

But after the cancellation of the Vatican visit due to the Pope’s continuing health issues, the schedule in Rome has now been spread over two days instead of one.

A royal source noted that originally, one of the days was particularly busy, and the changes now “allow the programme to breathe a bit”. They added that the extra day means more time can be spent at existing engagements, with new elements being added.

“He will be raring to go and looking forward to it immensely,” says Mr Dampier. “These trips abroad, where he is doing things that he really loves doing, are the perfect way to help his physical and mental health. It stimulates him and he finds it the perfect tonic. I am sure he will return energised, stimulated and refreshed by the trip.”

The King and Queen’s four-day visit will feature a glittering state banquet at the Plazzo Quirinal and audiences with President Mattarella and Prime Minister Meloni.

Other highlights include a joint flypast over Rome by the Italian Air Force aerobatic team, Frecce Tricolori, and by the Red Arrows and a historic address at the Italian Parliament.

The King will become the first British sovereign to address both houses of the Italian parliament and in Ravenna the couple will visit Dante’s Tomb and the Byron museum.

Wednesday will be an extra special day for Charles and Camilla, as they celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary. While Buckingham Palace have made no official plans, their Italian hosts are likely to find a way to mark the occasion.

The workaholic King isn’t one to take time off during special occasions, often opting to attend public engagements on his birthday, even milestone ones such as his 70th and 75th.

And Italy is a place of special significance for the couple, with Mr Dampier noting that the pair have escaped to the country for secret holidays over the years.

The King and Queen had originally been due to wed a day earlier, on April 8, 2005, but it was postponed in deference to the Vatican’s plans to hold the funeral of Pope John Paul II in Rome. Charles represented the Queen at the funeral.

With just two days to go until Their Majesties undertake the two-hour flight to Rome, royal sources insist the King’s recovery continues in a “positive direction”.

Charles has been receiving cancer treatment since his diagnosis last February. He is typically treated once a week.