King Charles has had to deal with his cancer, the fallout with Prince Harry, and Princess Kate’s health challenges during the first two years of his reign as monarch

 

King Charles and Camilla, pictured after their church service on Sunday, marked the second anniversary of the death of Queen Elizabeth II (
Image: Getty Images)

The King is looking forward to the “second chapter” of his reign it was revealed as he marked the second anniversary of the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth II.

His first two years on the throne have been tumultuous, as he had to deal with cancer, the fallout with his son Prince Harry and Prince William’s wife Kate’s ill health.

But those close to King Charles reveal that the 75-year-old monarch is determined to return to his duties with “renewed vigour”.

 

One source said: “There has been a lot going on, but the King has always been upbeat. Not once has he allowed himself to question the future – he’s dealt with everything head on. Now he is back in business. There is a spring in his step and a renewed vigour with it too. Everything is looking positive, which is welcome.”

Queen Elizabeth II is pictured with her son in June 2022, three months before she passed away ( 
Image:
Getty Images)

The King has been putting the finishing touches to arrangements for his first international tour with Queen Camilla. They head to Australia and the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Samoa next month.

King Charles has told aides he wants to “make up for lost time” and cement his own legacy, while at the same time deliberating on plans to commemorate his late mother.

The Mirror revealed last week that the King had given the green light to plans to erect a memorial to Queen Elizabeth II in St James’s Park in London. She died, aged 96, on September 8, 2022. The statue will be unveiled in 2026 to mark what would have been her centenary year.

The royal family paid tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth II yesterday by posting a photo of her at a Buckingham Palace garden party in 2019, captioned: “Remembering Queen Elizabeth II, 1926-2022.”

King Charles and Queen Camilla spent the weekend at Balmoral to pay their respects to his mother ( 
Image:
PA)
Charles and Camilla marked the anniversary of her death by attending a service at Crathie Kirk, near Balmoral. The King spent the rest of the day “in quiet reflection” at Balmoral, where his mother died.

A source close to the King said: “Through all the trials and tribulations the King has had to deal with this year, for himself and his family, I’ve never seen a person so positive and upbeat about the future.

“Even though he has been receiving regular hospital treatment, having to adapt his diary and way of working for a time this year, he never once felt sorry for himself or bemoaned his situation.

 

“If anything he wants to use it as a positive to help other people and raise awareness. That is at the heart of why he chose to be so candid.”

 

“With the autumn tour on the horizon to Australia and the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Samoa, the King very much feels this is the second chapter of his reign and he is very positive about the future.”

The King did not bow to pressure to see Prince Harry when his son was in London in May ( 
Image:
Getty Images)

Charles tried to remain positive when Princess Kate was diagnosed with cancer ( 
Image:
DAILY MIRROR)
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Those close to him said the King had taken “great comfort and strength” from the love and support shown by people since his cancer diagnosis. One source said: “It’s fair to say this has been a pretty testing time for the King and other members of his family. Any plans he may have had in the initial stages of his reign have had to be redrawn and adapted but he has taken it all in his stride.”

In May, the King did not bow to pressure to see Prince Harry, 39, when the Duke of Sussex was in London to attend a ceremony at St Paul’s Cathedral to mark the 10th anniversary of his Invictus Games.

A palace insider said: “Would the King prefer relations were not as they were between his son and the family? Of course. But the King is focussed on things he believes are more important right now.”

Ingrid Seward, who is the author of My Mother & I, about the relationship between the late Queen Eizabeth II and her eldest son, Charles, said the King would tackle the next stage of his reign with renewed hope and strength.

She said: “Since the death of his mother two years ago, King Charles has not slowed down. Even his cancer diagnosis failed to stop him working.

“That is what he enjoys, he is doing what he was born to do. His mother, the late Queen, knew he would rise to the challenge. She passed peacefully away happily knowing this to be the case.”