King Charles III and Queen Camilla were spotted at church amid his cancer treatment.
Charles, 75, and Camilla, 76, were photographed leaving church service at Crathie Kirk near their Balmoral estate in Scotland on Sunday, April 21, on what would have been the late Queen Elizabeth II’s 98th birthday. (Elizabeth died at the age of 96 on September 8, 2022.)
With the monarch behind the wheel, Camilla waved to onlookers as they drove by. The couple was similarly spotted earlier this week leaving their residence in London on Wednesday, April 17, shortly after celebrating their 19th wedding anniversary at Balmoral.
Buckingham Palace disclosed to the public that King Charles had been diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer following a procedure for an enlarged prostate. In the statement, the palace said Charles would take a step back from the full scope of his duties, including public commitments, as he undergoes treatment.
“I would like to express my most heartfelt thanks for the many messages of support and good wishes I have received in recent days,” the king said in a statement released by Buckingham Palace on February 10. “As all those who have been affected by cancer will know, such kind thoughts are the greatest comfort and encouragement.”
Though he has limited his workload to private audiences at the palace, Charles still made an appearance at Easter Sunday church service at Windsor Castle in March and greeted the crowd outside of St. George’s Chapel. In response to royal fans saying “get well soon,” the king replied, “I’m doing my best.”
While Queen Camilla has stepped in for her husband’s recent public appearances, other royal family members have taken on more responsibilities. For the first time, Charles called on his brother Prince Edward and wife Duchess Sophie to step in for him during a military event at the palace on April 8. The royal couple joined French Ambassador to the UK Hélène Duchêne for a historic changing of the guard ceremony at Buckingham Palace.
The royal family’s health has been a trending topic as of late, with Princess Kate Middleton announcing her cancer diagnosis in March. Kate, 42, has temporarily withdrawn from public duties as well as she undergoes preventative chemotherapy. Prince William, for his part, returned to his royal responsibilities earlier this week after a brief hiatus following his wife’s diagnosis. (William, 41, visited West London and Surrey for some charity work on Thursday, April 18.)
“It’s been stressful,” a source exclusively told Us Weekly earlier this week. “William feels a profound sense of duty to uphold the monarchy’s stability and inspire confidence in the public that everything will be OK. It’s an immense responsibility.”