Monday was the first anniversary of the coronation of King Charles III of Britain. It was a challenging year, marked by ongoing difficulties with his estranged son Prince Harry and a cancer diagnosis.
At noon (1100 GMT), a 41-gun salute was fired from Green Park near Buckingham Palace to commemorate the event. An hour later, 62 volleys were fired from a different position in central London.
Though no formal celebrations were scheduled, the milestone was reached less than a week after King Charles returned to public life following his diagnosis.
At a London hospital on Tuesday, he paid a visit to other cancer patients, as his improvement had “very encouraged” the doctors.
Considering the connection between his coronation and the passing of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, the 75-year-old king, who has not revealed the type of disease he has, was also allegedly eager to celebrate the day with as little “fuss” as possible.
King Charles’ “sense of duty” was commended by Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, who crowned him at Westminster Abbey a year ago.
“The king has faced several significant personal hardships in the last year. However, having lately returned to royal duties after treatment, I have been impressed by his ongoing sense of responsibility,” he remarked.
“His openness in sharing his condition has been characteristic of his willingness to help and support others,” he stated.
The anniversary coincides with King Charles’s personal popularity rating rising somewhat to 56% in a Daily Mail Ipsos poll.
The most well-liked members of the royal family were his son and successor Prince William and his wife Catherine, the Princess of Wales, with 69 percent each, an increase of 8–10 percent from April of last year.
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Following stomach surgery that had already compelled her to step back from public life, 42-year-old Catherine, better known by her stage name Kate, revealed her own shocking cancer diagnosis in late March.
The royal family is currently experiencing a scarcity of frontline royals due to the combined effects of Charles and Catherine’s illnesses, and William has also decided to take a leave of absence to assist in taking care of his wife and family.
The 76-year-old Queen Camilla assumed responsibility for managing her husband’s engagements, while Prince Edward, the youngest brother of King Charles, as well as Princess Anne, his sister, have also assumed more significant roles.
However, since Harry, the king’s youngest son, is no longer a working royal, the absence of King Charles and Catherine was felt even more deeply.
Harry and Meghan Markle made a significant move to North America in 2020.
This week, Harry will visit the UK again to take part in a ceremony commemorating the tenth anniversary of his Invictus Games for disabled veterans of the armed forces.
He was “likely to be reunited with (King) Charles” at some time during his visit, according to the domestic PA agency.
On the other hand, about 100 people attended a protest in Trafalgar Square on Sunday that was organized by the anti-monarchy organization Republic.
There were cries of “abdicate, abdicate” and two big banners with the words “abolish the monarchy” and “change (the) country for good” hung in front of an art museum.
Tens of thousands of people lined the streets of London for the coronation last year, and street celebrations were conducted around the nation.
The globe watched the momentous ceremony at Westminster Abbey on television.
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