Still determined to fulfill his duties to the full despite his cancer, King Charles III celebrated his 77th birthday this Friday with a trip to Wales.
While in London his birthday was honored with cannons, the king was in the rain in Wales to attend a reception to mark the 200th anniversary of Cyfarthfa Castle with Queen Camilla, a gem of Welsh history, then inaugurate the railway depot. A busy day, as has been his calendar for the past few months.
The monarch, who announced he had cancer in February 2024, has this year achieved a record number of engagements since he ascended the throne in September 2022, according to the Daily Express.
Several overseas excursions
In September, with much fanfare, he received American President Donald Trump at Windsor Castle, a high-level diplomatic exercise suggested by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who wants to maintain the special relationship between London and Washington.
Although most of his travels were limited to the UK, Charles also made several trips abroad: the royal couple were in Canada in May, and at the Vatican in April and then in October, for trips marked by unprecedented joint prayers with Pope Leo XIV.
All without showing any signs of weakness, as if refuting repeated rumors about his deteriorating health condition.
Nap
Buckingham Palace has never specified what type of cancer the monarch suffered from, fueling speculation, Robert Jobson, a specialist on the monarchy and author of a new book called “The Windsor legacy: A Royal Dynasty of Secrets, Scandal and Survival,” said Thursday.
Even if “we can’t expect him to perform at 100%”, Robert Jobson added to several journalists, “he is honoring his commitments, and continuing to do everything that is expected of a king”. He has also changed certain habits: he now “takes naps,” according to Robert Jobson.
Charles also admitted with a laugh Friday in Wales to “trying to do gymnastics – twice a day”, according to the Press Association body. In fact, Charles “loves his job and that’s what keeps him going,” Queen Camilla said during their visit to Rome in April.
An upset royal family
Already reeling from estrangement with his son Harry, the king has also had to do a lot recently to try to quell criticism of the monarchy reignited by the latest twists and turns in the scandal surrounding his younger brother Andrew, due to his ties to American pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
Charles took the historic decision in late October to strip the prince of his title and force him to leave his luxurious residence in the Windsor area. There is no guarantee that this will end the affair that has poisoned the world’s most famous monarchy since 2011.
In fact, although Charles has returned to activity in recent months, the palace is preparing for the future. Crown Prince William, 43, is increasingly visible. He said he wanted to “bring a little change” in the functioning of the monarchy, in a recent interview.
Charles III’s eldest son also made an important visit to Brazil on the occasion of COP30 last week, taking over his father’s role as a symbol of environmental defenders.
William and his wife Kate, symbols of the monarchy’s rise, remain the most popular members of the royal family: three-quarters of Britons have a positive opinion of them, according to a YouGov survey published at the end of October, compared with 62% for Charles.
