King Charles is "raring to go" as he prepares for his historic state visit to Italy next week, royal sources have claimed.
The 76-year-old monarch and Queen Camilla will arrive in Rome on Monday to begin their four-day trip just 10 days after the King 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.
Royal sources have described the hospital stay as a "minor bump in the road".
King Charles is 'raring to go' as he prepares for his historic state visit to Italy next week, royal sources have claimed
Getty
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.
After a restful weekend at his countryside retreat Highgrove, Charles returned to a near-normal, full working week at Windsor Castle.
The Italy visit will celebrate warm Anglo-Italian relations with a total of 17 engagements, though the planned Vatican visit has been cancelled due to the Pope's own health issues.
Plans for Rome have been spread across two days instead of one to "allow the programme to breathe a bit", according to a royal source.
Plans for Rome have been spread across two days instead of one
GettyThe King and Queen will celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary on Wednesday with a toast at a state banquet in Rome.
The glittering dinner will be hosted by Italian President Sergio Mattarella at the 17th Century Palazzo Quirinale.
Sources close to the couple say they are "not ones for a fuss".
The King's schedule this week included his state duties, two public engagements and an investiture ceremony, where gardener and broadcaster Alan Titchmarsh was awarded a CBE.
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King Charles was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer in February 2024 and returned to public-facing duties last April
PARoyal commentator Phil Dampier told the Express the King looked like he had been "on very good form" this week.
He said: "He will be raring to go and looking forward to it immensely. These trips abroad, where he is doing things that he really loves doing, are the perfect way to help his physical and mental health."
Titchmarsh applauded the King's "boundless energy" after Tuesday's ceremony, saying: "He is so energetic, he's not just a talker, he's a doer."
Dampier added that such travel "stimulates" the King. "He finds it the perfect tonic," he said. "I am sure he will return energised, stimulated and refreshed by the trip."
