‘This time last year King Charles had a spring in his step – but luck was not on his side’ - Analysis by Cameron Walker
King Charles and Queen Camilla at their Coronation
PA
When Charles and Camilla appeared on the Buckingham Palace balcony as the newly crowned King and Queen one year ago, the tumultuous start to 2024 seemed as unlikely as the British weather being on their side.
The relentless rain didn't dampen the crowd's spirits as they cheered for their monarch, who became the oldest King in the country's history to be crowned.
The best of British pomp and pageantry was on display as the traditional ceremony was carried out in Westminster Abbey, with modern twists.
There was a genuine cause for optimism that day, sealing the smooth transition from the second Elizabethan age to the third Carolean era.
The King's popularity also received a boost post-Coronation, with polling by Ipsos showing 19 per cent of British adults felt more positive about the monarchy.
King Charles had a spring in his step as he carried out summer engagements, which included Trooping the Colour and a Service of Thanksgiving and Dedication in Edinburgh, giving the people of Scotland a chance to celebrate the Coronation of their monarch.
King Charles and Camilla were crowned at Westminster AbbeyPAThe State Visit to France, carried out by King Charles and Queen Camilla in September 2023, was widely seen as a success.
His Majesty's soft diplomatic powers wowed the French; Charles became the first member of the British Royal Family to address French politicians from the Senate Chamber.
In a post-Brexit world, the royal visit strengthened Anglo-French relations and paved the way for further diplomatic talks between politicians.
Not long after, The King had one of the biggest tests of his reign so far, when he visited the first Commonwealth country as the organisation's head.
He, alongside Queen Camilla, travelled to Kenya to "celebrate the warm relationship", but uncomfortable echoes of colonialism threatened to overshadow the visit.
King Charles, however, was more than up to the challenge and addressed the issues head on.
King Charles III and Queen Camilla are presented with the Coronation Roll
PADelivering a speech during the State Banquet in Kenya, His Majesty said: "The wrongdoings of the past are a cause of the greatest sorrow and the deepest regret. There were abhorrent and unjustifiable acts of violence committed against Kenyans as they waged, as you said at the United Nations, a painful struggle for independence and sovereignty – and for that, there can be no excuse."
He stopped short of a formal apology, disappointing some reparation campaigners, but this is an action that would have needed to be signed off by government ministers.
In response, Kenya's President William Ruto did praise the King's "exemplary courage" in shedding light on "uncomfortable truths", but warned there was much more work to do "to achieve full reparations".
The King's 75th birthday in November 2023 was an opportunity for His Majesty to champion a cause he cared about - reducing food waste to help those struggling with the cost of living crisis.
King Charles and Queen Camilla visited a surplus food distribution centre in Didcot, where they launched the Coronation Food Project, saving and circulating more leftover food to communities in need.
Their Majesties met staff and volunteers who bring surplus food into the warehouse, store and pack it, ready to sent out to more than 120 community organisations in need across Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Wiltshire.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
King Charles has cancer, Palace confirmed in the above statementPAThe increasingly frequent and noisy anti-monarchy protests did little to dent The King's popularity in the latter half of 2023, and His Majesty's Christmas Day broadcast was well-received across the country when he praised the "selfless army" of volunteers.
2024 has undoubtedly been an incredibly challenging time for the Royal Family, and the King has been deeply frustrated by his personal medical problems.
In January, shortly after The Princess of Wales was admitted to hospital for abdominal surgery, The King himself received treatment for an enlarged prostate in the same building.
At the time, the interruption to his diary appeared to be a mild (albeit inconvenient) blip.
King Charles and Queen Camilla smiled and waved to the public when he was discharged from hospital a few days after his procedure.
Luck was not on the King's side, however, when doctors discovered a much more sinister "separate issue".
In February, Buckingham Palace announced The King had been diagnosed with a separate form of cancer and would be treated as an outpatient.
King Charles was forced to withdraw from public life, and could only carry out his constitutional duties behind palace walls.
Both The Queen and the King's nephew Peter Philips, have spoken publicly about King Charles' impatience with his cancer treatment, particularly about not being able to carry out public engagements.
"I have been trying to hold him back", the Queen said recently at a Buckingham Palace reception.
The Royal Family's other health scares, most notably The Princess of Wales' own cancer diagnosis, brought into question the appropriateness of a 'slimmed down' monarchy with so many senior royals out of action.
The relentless speculation and media coverage of royal ailments could have played heavily on the King's mind as he tried to keep the show on the road behind the scenes.
Kate shared her cancer diagnosis with the world via videoPA On Easter Sunday, there was a glimmer of hope when His Majesty attended a service at St George's Chapel in Windsor.
Perhaps more remarkable was his ability to shake hands and greet several members of the public following the service; doctors had previously advised him to avoid large crowds to protect him from the effects of his cancer and treatment.
Remarkably, the King's progress has been quicker than many imagined back in February.
Last week, he symbolically carried out his first public engagement since his cancer diagnosis, visiting a cancer treatment centre in London.
Buckingham Palace chose this moment to announce he was the new Patron of Cancer Research UK, poignantly taking over the role from his late mother Queen Elizabeth II.
His Majesty's own experience with cancer has given him the opportunity to sympathise with other cancer patients, telling one lady receiving chemotherapy: "I've got to have my treatment this afternoon as well."
King Charles' staff are busy planning future public engagements and remain hopeful that he will be able to attend many of them this summer, through to the autumn.
When gun salutes ring out across the country later today, marking exactly a year since St Edward's Crown touched the King's head, the latter half of 2024 will look much more positive than the first.
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