King returns to his royal duties

Busy week after 'minor bump in the road'

- By Emily Ferguson Royal Editor

THE King will return to public engagements today following a brief spell in hospital after experiencing temporary side effects from his cancer treatment.

Having enjoyed a restful weekend at Highgrove, his beloved Gloucestershire estate, the 76-year-old monarch will resume a relatively normal working week.

He was admitted to the London Clinic last Thursday for a "brief period of observation".

The King, who was diagnosed with a form of cancer last February and continues to undergo a weekly course of treatment, postponed engagements in Birmingham last Friday as a precautionary measure.

Ceremony

His short hospital visit was played down by the Palace, with one insider describing it as a "minimal disruption to normal service".