King Charles and Queen Camilla seen arriving at church as Royal Family marks second anniversary of Queen’s death
KING Charles and Queen Camilla have been seen arriving at church – as the Royal Family marks the second anniversary of the Queen’s death.
Charles is attending Crathie Kirk near Balmoral for a Sunday morning service.
The late Queen used to worship at the chapel on the Highlands estate.
Charles, 75, has spent the summer at Balmoral, where his mother died peacefully at the age of 96 on September 8 2022.
At Charles’s side is Queen Camilla, who has supported him throughout the challenges of the past nine months.
The King’s second year as sovereign has been marked by the double health blow of his cancer diagnosis and that of Princess Kate.
But a royal source said Charles’s health is “heading in a positive trajectory”.
Charles and Camilla are soon travelling to Australia and Samoa on their first major long-haul trip since news of his condition broke.
The Archbishop of Canterbury also marked the Queen’s death with a statement after delivering the sermon at her funeral.
The Rt Rev Justin Welby said: “Today we remember the life of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, and mark the second anniversary of the accession of His Majesty King Charles III.
“As we pray for the royal family today, we give thanks for Queen Elizabeth’s life of faith and devotion.
“We continue to pray for the King in his steadfast service to our nation.”
‘ROLLERCOASTER’ YEAR
The anniversary is a deeply personal time for the King, who became monarch when his mother died after reigning for seven decades.
A royal source said: “There will be personal thoughts, prayers and reflections.
“I’m sure it will be a very poignant day for all. How could it not be, not least given the year of challenge that the whole family has had?”
Royal expert Joe Little described the health troubles faced by the King and Kate as a “rollercoaster” period.
Little said: “Nobody saw those things coming and they had a profound impact.
“It has been a rollercoaster year for the King, not just for him, but for his family, and it will have been of great concern to the Queen.
“Nonetheless he has been remarkably active for someone with his condition and given his age.
“He hasn’t let the treatment hold him back, but I’m sure he hasn’t done anything near as much as he would have liked to have done.”
The King’s second year as monarch has been less hectic than his first, with his treatment understandably having an impact on his schedule.
But Charles has still undertaken dozens of visits, meetings and events.
He carried out official engagements on 132 days during the past year, compared with 161 days in the previous 12 months.
Yesterday Charles, dressed in a tartan kilt, and Camilla enjoyed a day out at the annual Braemar Gathering, watching the Highland Games.
Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney and his wife Elizabeth Quigley also arrived to stay overnight with the King and Queen the same day.
The King held an audience with SNP supremo Mr Swinney yesterday evening.
ROYAL ANNIVERSARY
Prayers will be said for the King and the royal family hundreds of miles away at services in London’s Westminster Abbey.
The abbey was the scene of the late Queen’s final farewell at her funeral 11 days after her death.
Its bells will also ring out to mark the King’s accession anniversary, as is the custom.
Gun salutes are usually fired on Accession Day, but this year it falls on a Sunday when salutes traditionally do not take place.
The military tribute by at Hyde Park and the Tower of London has instead been moved to Monday.
Both regiments taking part were responsible for firing the Death Gun salutes upon the death of the late Queen.
Almost all of the soldiers and horses taking part played a role in the Queen’s funeral and the proclamation of the King.
Members of the royal family regularly worship at Crathie Kirk while they are staying at nearby Balmoral Castle.
The late Queen, a devout Christian, was a regular attendee at the chapel.
Charles’s great-great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria laid the foundation stone for the 19th-century church.
The tiny granite kirk, a short drive from the castle, stands on a hill overlooking 14th-century church ruins and the River Dee.
Princess Anne married then-commander Tim Laurence there in the winter of 1992.
REMEMBERING OUR QUEEN
By Henry Martin
A MONUMENT to Queen Elizabeth II will be unveiled to honour her life and legacy.
The sculpture will be open to the public in St James’s Park, London, in 2026 – which would have been the monarch’s centenary year.
Plans to create a national legacy programme and a permanent memorial were made following the Queen’s death on September 8, 2022.
Her former private secretary, Lord Robin Janvrin, was made chair of a special committee which has worked with the Government and Royal Household to create this monument.
He passed away at the age of 82 following an important career within the Royal Family.
An announcement about the nature of the sculpture is set to take place this weekend on the two-year anniversary of her death, the Mirror reports.
Queen Elizabeth II’s memorial is set to be erected near the statue of Queen Victoria, which is located outside Buckingham Palace on The Mall.
A Cabinet Office spokesman said they would not comment on speculation.
The news comes after Queen Camilla gave an update on King Charles’ cancer, saying the monarch is “doing very well”.
Camilla visited the Royal United Hospitals in Bath earlier this week to open the new Dyson Cancer Centre there.
She met several patients undergoing chemotherapy at the centre.
Macmillan Cancer Support worker Suzy Moon asked after Charles during Camilla’s visit.
When Moon asked “Is he OK?”, Camilla replied: “Yes, he is doing very well.”
Charles has been taking his end-of-summer holiday at the Balmoral Castle estate in Aberdeenshire.
The King’s cancer ordeal began in January when he revealed he needed a corrective procedure for an enlarged prostate.
He decided to allow the public to know what he was going through, which resulted in a huge outpouring of sympathy.
Brave Charles was touched by the public reaction but also significantly buoyed when it was revealed the NHS website received 11 times more daily visits from men with similar concerns.