King honours Alan Titchmarsh and Olympic star in first public engagement since short hospital stay

The King has made his first public engagement since a brief stay in hospital last week, honouring TV gardener Alan Titchmarsh and British athlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson, during an investiture at Windsor Castle.

Buckingham Palace said that following “scheduled and ongoing medical treatment for cancer” on Thursday morning, His Majesty “experienced temporary side effects that required a short period of observation in hospital“.

Palace sources have described it as a “most minor bump in the road”.

The King then cancelled an away-day to Birmingham on Friday – when he was also seen smiling and waving as he left Clarence House in central London.

Following Tuesday’s investiture, the 76-year-old is due to carry out a mix of public engagements, state duties and private meetings in the coming days.

However, a small number of appointments have been rescheduled ahead of a state visit the King and Queen are making to Italy next week.

Titchmarsh, 75, was made a CBE for services to horticulture and charity, while Johnson-Thompson, the reigning world heptathlon champion and Paris 2024 Olympics silver medallist, was made an MBE for services to athletics.

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The King will hold his weekly audience with the prime minister at Buckingham Palace on Wednesday, while on Thursday he will celebrate the 80th anniversary of the humanitarian air operator, Mission Aviation Fellowship, during an event at RAF Northolt in west London.

Friday will be spent making final preparations for the trip to Italy.

A separate visit to the Vatican has been postponed as the Pope continues to recover from pneumonia.