Prince Harry Wasn't Informed About King Charles's Hospitalization as Palace Didn't Want to "Cause Unnecessary Alarm"

On Thursday, March 27, it was revealed that King Charles had been hospitalized amid his ongoing cancer treatment. However, it's since been suggested that Buckingham Palace shared the news with the general public before Charles's son, Prince Harry, was informed.

Buckingham Palace revealed that King Charles had been "experiencing temporary side effects during cancer treatment," which led to his brief hospitalization, via the BBC. The monarch canceled several official engagements that had been set to take place on March 28, and instead returned home to Clarence House on Thursday night. The following day, he was photographed leaving London by car for his private home, Highgrove House.

According to The Sun, an insider claimed that Prince Harry wasn't told about his father's hospitalization prior to the public announcement because Buckingham Palace didn't want to "cause unnecessary alarm." "[I]t looks like the duke only found out about his father's latest health update through the media when it was announced publicly to the rest of the world," the Express reported.

On March 27, Buckingham Palace said in a statement, "Tomorrow, [King Charles] was due to undertake four public engagements in Birmingham and is greatly disappointed to be missing them on this occasion." The statement continued, "He very much hopes that they can be rescheduled in due course and offers his deepest apologies to all those who had worked so hard to make the planned visit possible."

As for the severity of King Charles's symptoms, which led to his hospitalization, Buckingham Palace said it was the "most minor bump in a road that is very much heading in the right direction."