King Charles III is keeping busy with royal engagements amid royal family health concerns and controversies.
The monarch, 75, hosted several veterans of the Korean War at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday, March 19. At the event, Charles was photographed chatting with former military members and Master of The King’s Household, Vice Admiral Sir Tony Johnstone-Burt, among others in honor of the 70th anniversary of the end of the war.
Following Charles’ “pre-reception private audience” with the veterans, Princess Anne and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, hosted a reception attended by around 200 Korean War veterans at the palace on Charles’ behalf, according to the royal family’s website.
In addition to speaking with guests such as Major General Eldon Millar and Korean Ambassador to the UK, His Excellency Yeocheol Yoon, Anne, 73, delivered a speech on behalf of the monarch, “in which His Majesty remembered what was once called ‘the Forgotten War’ and honored the veterans,” the royal family’s website states.
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Charles, who is currently undergoing treatment for an unspecified form of cancer, sported a gray suit, a white dress shirt and a matching light blue tie and pocket handkerchief at the event. Anne complemented her older brother’s look by donning a teal dress, while Sophie, 59, wore a green floral patterned dress.
Charles’ latest royal event comes two months after the palace first announced he would undergo surgery for an enlarged prostate. He was diagnosed with cancer last month, with royal reporter Omid Scobie revealing via X that the King was not specifically diagnosed with prostate cancer.
Princess Anne and Sophie Duchess of Edinburgh.
Charles returned to royal duties earlier this month, prior to which several royals, including Anne and Charles’ wife, Queen Camilla, filled in for him at official events. His engagements have all taken place at Buckingham Palace, hosting guests such as Britain’s Chancellor of the Exchequer, Jeremy Hunt, High Commissioner of Jamaica, Alexander Williams, and his wife, Carol Watson-Williams, and Baroness Patricia Scotland of Astha.
Charles also delivered a pre-recorded Commonwealth Day speech on March 11, during which he promised to continue to serve the Commonwealth “to the best of my ability.”
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Unlike the King sharing some specifics about his current health condition, fans have been left in the dark about Princess Kate Middleton’s health status since she underwent abdominal surgery in January.
“Simply because one patient is comfortable discussing their health in a certain way does not mean both patients should be,” royal expert Gareth Russell exclusively told Us Weekly in February. “Just stepping back from the royal aspect of things for a moment, patient privacy is still a really important and a fundamental right.”
However, the mystery surrounding Kate’s condition has spawned several online theories, with some fans believing it was not actually her at her recent public appearances. Adding to royal speculation is her Photoshop controversy. Earlier this month, Kate, 42, admitted to attempting to edit a Mother’s Day photo she shared of herself and her kids after several photo agencies pulled the photo due to manipulation.
“Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing,” she wrote in a March 11 X statement. “I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused. I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother’s Day.”
Since then, two more royal family photos have been accused of being altered, including a photo snapped by Kate of Queen Elizabeth II and her grandkids and a family photo at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s son Archie’s christening.
