London:

Britain’s King Charles III on Monday marked the first anniversary of his coronation following a difficult year that has seen a cancer diagnosis and continuing tensions with his estranged son Prince Harry.

Gun salutes were due to be fired in central London and at other locations across the UK to mark the occasion.

No official events, however, were planned with the milestone coming less than a week after King Charles resumed public duties since his diagnosis.

He visited fellow cancer patients at a London hospital on Tuesday after doctors said they were “very encouraged” by his progress.

The 75-year-old monarch, who has not disclosed the type of cancer he has, was also reportedly keen to mark the day with minimal “fuss” given the link between his accession and the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth II.

The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby who crowned King Charles a year ago at Westminster Abbey praised his “sense of duty”.

“The past year has presented the king with some great personal challenges. But I have been struck by his continued sense of duty, having recently returned to royal engagements following treatment,” he said.

“His openness in sharing his condition has been characteristic of his willingness to help and support others,” he added.

The anniversary comes as an Ipsos poll for the Daily Mail saw King Charles’s personal popularity rating rise slightly to 56 percent.

His son and heir Prince William and his wife Catherine, the Princess of Wales, were the most popular members of the royal family on 69 percent each, up 8-10 percent since last April.

Double blow

Catherine, 42, also known as Kate, announced her own shock cancer diagnosis in late March following abdominal surgery which had already forced her to withdraw from public life.

The double blow of both King Charles and Catherine’s ill health has left the royal family with a shortage of frontline royals with William also stepping back for a while to help care for his wife and family.

Queen Camilla, 76, stepped in to take over many of her husband’s engagements while King Charles’s sister Princess Anne and his youngest brother Prince Edward have also taken on more prominent roles.

But King Charles and Catherine’s absence was felt even more keenly as the king’s younger son Harry is no longer a working royal.

Harry dramatically relocated to North America in 2020 with his wife Meghan Markle.

Harry will return to the UK this week to attend a ceremony marking the 10th anniversary of his Invictus Games for disabled military veterans.

The domestic PA agency reported that he was “likely to be reunited with (King) Charles” at some point during his visit.

A demonstration organised by the anti-monarchy group Republic on Sunday, meanwhile, attracted around 100 people in Trafalgar Square.

Protesters shouted “abdicate, abdicate” and two large banners reading “abolish the monarchy” and “change (the) country for good” were hung in front of an art gallery.

Last year’s coronation saw tens of thousands of people line the streets of London and street parties held up and down the country.

Television images of the historic ceremony at Westminster Abbey was beamed around the world.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

London:

Britain’s King Charles has significantly increased his charity patronages by nearly 300 this weekend to mark the first anniversary of his Coronation since May last year, taking over several that Buckingham Palace said were supported by his mother late Queen Elizabeth II.

The palace said a major review of more than 1,000 royal patronages and charity presidencies was undertaken following the 75-year-old monarch’s accession to the throne in September 2022 after the death of his mother.

Other working members of the royal family, including wife Camilla and son and heir Prince William, will also take on the patronage of a number of organisations previously supported by the late Queen to add to their existing portfolios.

“The King and Queen [Camilla] will continue to serve as patron to many of the charities and institutions with which His Majesty was affiliated as Prince of Wales, and respectively Her Majesty as Duchess of Cornwall,” a Buckingham Palace statement said on Saturday.

“In addition, Their Majesties are pleased to continue the patronage of a great variety of charities and organisations previously supported by Queen Elizabeth II…Royal patronage highlights the vital work of these organisations and allows their many achievements and valuable contributions to society to be more widely recognised and promoted,” it said.

Among the charity patronages King Charles has inherited from his mother, there are a number of Commonwealth institutions including the Association of Commonwealth Universities, which champions the power of higher education to improve lives, and the Royal Commonwealth Society, which is committed to improving the lives and prospects of Commonwealth citizens globally.

“With his long record of support for the Commonwealth and as a champion of the environment, he embodies the values to which the Royal Commonwealth Society aspires, and which inspires our work to make a practical difference in the lives of the 2.6 billion people who make up the Commonwealth family,” said Dr Linda Yueh, Executive Chair of the Royal Commonwealth Society.

The King retains patronages from his time as heir to the throne which highlight causes such as supporting communities, conservation and culture, including the Wildlife Trusts, a grassroots nature organisation; Youth United Foundation, which brings uniformed youth organisations together so they can learn from each other, share best practice and collectively support more young people; and the Heritage Crafts Association, a national charity preserving traditional heritage crafts.

Queen Elizabeth II was patron of 492 organisations at the time of her death, of which 376 are due to be retained by King Charles and other members of the royal family. Over 441 organisations were affiliated with Charles from his time as the Prince of Wales, of which 367 have been retained by members of the royal family.

The palace said that a further review will be carried out to consider the royal patronages held throughout 14 other Commonwealth Realms, where King Charles is Head of Stat

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)