King Charles is facing renewed calls to step back from his royal duties after being hospitalized due to temporary side effects from his ongoing cancer treatment.

Although Buckingham Palace described the incident as a minor “bump in the road,” it was serious enough for the 76-year-old monarch to cancel all scheduled engagements for the following day.

The health setback has prompted royal commentators and biographers to urge Charles to slow down and prioritize his recovery—a suggestion he’s reportedly resisted. Queen Camilla has previously acknowledged that her husband is reluctant to ease up, despite his condition.

Royal family author Ingrid Seward summed it up to Newsweek when she said “The trouble is, he’s been so conditioned to work that I don’t think he functions unless he’s working.

“When he’s not working, he’s probably a bit all over the place, I know I’m like that. He’s always working and it’s just not his nature to take an afternoon nap, which I’m sure Camilla is trying to make him do.”

“Cancer treatment makes you very, very tired. The trouble is it’s his duty as monarch to do these stifling boring handshakes with incoming and outgoing ambassadors.”

Royal author Seward, who penned My Mother and I, suggested that the most realistic approach for King Charles would be to allow him to continue participating in the more stimulating aspects of his royal duties while eliminating the more tedious ones. She emphasized that such engagements can be both boring and draining, and that the only effective way for the king to truly ease his workload would be for someone else to assume some of his official responsibilities.

On Tuesday, just days after his hospitalization, the monarch made a determined return to public life. He carried out his first official engagement since the health scare by attending an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle, where he appeared to be in good spirits.

“He could just step back from the investitures,” Seward said. “I think that would be a good idea, there’s the Princess Royal [Charles’ sister Anne], Prince Edward could do investitures as well. There’s no reason he couldn’t.” These investitures are known for being long and typically last a full day.

Seward noted that the king’s return to work is a positive indication that his overall health is improving. As Charles steadily resumes his public duties, Buckingham Palace confirmed that he plans to make up for the “unspecified appointments” he was forced to miss last week.

Among his upcoming engagements, the monarch is expected to participate in events marking the 50th anniversary of Papua New Guinea’s independence, along with a public appearance in support of an aviation charity initiative. The king is also moving forward with plans for an upcoming trip to Italy, spending Friday preparing for the State Visit.