King Charles news: Monarch ‘in great form’ and looking forward to Italy trip in April

King Charles will proceed with a planned trip to Italy this month, despite being recently hospitalised due to an adverse reaction to cancer treatment.

A royal source told The Mirror the trip was “never in doubt” and Charles is rested and ready to go.

“Everyone has seen in recent days that he is in great form and completely unfazed by his recent setback, if anything both His Majesty and the Queen are even more excited to be getting on the road again,” the source added.

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Charles, 76, and Queen Camilla will land in Italy on April 7 for the king’s first State Visit for 2025.

The trip will span four days, with the royal couple visiting Rome, Ravenna, and The Vatican. They plan to meet with Pope Francis, 88, who has also recently been released from hospital where he was treated for double pneumonia.

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The visit will mark a “significant step forward in relations between the Catholic Church and Church of England,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement.

The trip will also coincide with the Vatican’s 2025 Jubilee Year in Rome.

The royal tour will include a historic visit to the papal Basilica of Saint Paul’s Outside the Walls where they will be treated to a performance by the the Royal Chapel Choir and the St George’s Chapel Choir.

On 9 April the king and queen will be received at Villa Doria Pamphilj by Italy’s prime minister Giorgia Meloni and president Sergio Mattarella, who will host a state banquet for the royal couple at the Quirinale Palace.

The monarch will become the first British monarch to address a joint session of Italy’s state parliament.

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King Charles has been undergoing treatment for an undisclosed form of cancer since early 2024. Buckingham Palace released a statement regarding Charles’ most recent health challenge at the end of March.

It read: “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. 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.

“His Majesty would like to send his apologies to all those who may be inconvenienced or disappointed as a result.”

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Charles was reportedly advised to rest for the week. Following his release from hospital he spent some time resting at his Highgrove country estate in Gloucestershire.

Despite his health challenges King Charles has maintained an impressive schedule of official duties including a tour of Australia and Samoa in October 2024.

Charles and Camilla’s last trip to Italy was in April 2017.

During this trip, they met with Pope Francis, and Charles was presented with the Renaissance Man of the Year Award at a lavish gala dinner, once again held at the Palazzo Vecchio, hosted by the Mayor of Florence Dario Nardella and his wife.

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