King Charles’ four-word joke to Queen Camilla after Easter Sunday well-wisher told him to ‘never give in’
KING Charles joked with Queen Camilla in front of crowds yesterday in his first public appearance since being diagnosed with cancer.
The monarch, 75, shook hands with around 60 well-wishers after leading a scaled-down Royal Family to the Easter Service at Windsor Castle for Easter Sunday.
He had a grin ear-to-ear as he waved to fans who were happy to have got a glimpse of the cancer-striken royal.
When one well-wisher shook his hand and said “get well soon Your Majesty”, the King immediately replied: “I’m doing my best.”
But it was when another fan told Charles that he was in their thoughts that crowds got a glimpse of a cheeky side of him – and an insight into his and Camilla’s relationship.
When one well-wisher called out, “Happy Easter your Majesty, never give in, keep going strong”, Charles glanced at Camilla by his side and joked: “I just obey my instructions.”
A palace source hailed the event as a “significant step” coming eight weeks after he announced his shock cancer diagnosis and stepped back from front-line royal duty.
They said: “As can be seen, the King has responded to treatment very encouragingly over the past weeks and his doctors were thus able to adjust their guidance slightly on what His Majesty is now able to undertake, including attendance at the Easter Service and greeting well-wishers who had kindly turned out to show their support.
“To be clear, His Majesty’s treatment continues and caution is of course the watchword, but as diary plans are evolved towards summer, we hope to see more of these carefully-calibrated steps towards the resumption of some public-facing duties for The King, with adjustments made where necessary.
“Nothing will be confirmed until nearer the time, plans remain in flux and are subject to medical guidance, but there is great hope and optimism from both doctors and the patient.
“While His Majesty has of course been undertaking all his official duties in private, and has been photographed at a number of smaller Palace engagements, hopefully today has offered wider public reassurance that His Majesty is doing well and that the road ahead is looking very positive.”
Royal fans swooned over the King as he shook their hands, while waving and grinning at others.
Katrina Warne, 62, of Brookwoods, Surrey, was one of the well-wishers who greeted the King.
She said afterwards: “I sent my best and said we all wanted him to get well soon. He told me ‘I’m doing my best’.
“He looked remarkably well, I have to say. Much better in the flesh than he has done in his recent portraits.
“It was amazing to see him. What a lovely man.”
The King beaned when he asked another well-wisher if they had come to see the castle, to which she said: “No, we’ve come to see you.”
Charles then sweetly said: “I am very touched.”
Sharon Libby, 60, had travelled up from Portsmouth and called out: “We are all rooting for you, we’ve got your back, Sir.”
She said afterwards: “I just wanted him to know he is loved. He seemed remarkably well in the circumstances.
Why Charles bravely shared his cancer diagnosis
KING Charles bravely broke with royal protocol by sharing his cancer diagnosis.
Senior royals have in past been tight-lipped about their health battles.
The last top royal diagnosed with cancer was Charles’s grandfather George VI.
Heavy smoker George had his left lung removed for “structural abnormalities” in September 1951, months before he died.
The “abnormalities” were actually a life-threatening carcinoma, but the public never learned about George’s cancer ordeal.
Buckingham Palace said Charles wanted to share his cancer diagnosis to boost “public understanding” for cancer patients worldwide.
“I was really moved to see him today.”
He spotted Anne Daley, 65, from Cardiff who had travelled down by train and waved a Welsh flag.
Gesturing to Camilla, the King said: “Look, she’s from Wales.”
Charles told the royal fan: “You’re very brave to stand out here in the cold.”
Anne said afterwards: “I shouted back ‘yes, I’m from Wales and have come here especially to see you’.
“He looked absolutely marvellous, really well.”
She added: “I wanted to show my support for King Charles and the Princess of Wales who we are all wishing well.
I sent my best and said we all wanted him to get well soon. He told me ‘I’m doing my best
Katrina Warne
“We want to show them that we miss them, Wales misses her. She may not be here but she is not forgotten.”
Minutes before the King and Queen arrived, other family members arrived at St George’s Chapel for the event dubbed by aides as ‘Easter Lite’.
The Prince and Princess of Wales missed the service because Kate, 42, is undergoing preventative treatment for chemotherapy.
Charles and Camilla had earlier arrived for the annual service in the State Bentley.
They waved to a small crowd let in to see the royals including members of the public along with staff who work on the Windsor estate.
When one called out “Happy Easter”, the King replied “and to you too.”
The King’s disgraced younger brother Prince Andrew, 64, arrived by car with Princess Anne, 73, and her husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, 69.
TIMELINE OF ROYAL HEALTH TROUBLES
THE King has made his most significant public appearance since his cancer diagnosis, attending an Easter Sunday service in Windsor.
The Princess of Wales and her family were not in attendance following Kate’s announcement that she is also undergoing treatment for cancer.
Here is the timeline of the health troubles facing the royal family:
January 16
Kate is secretly admitted to The London Clinic and undergoes abdominal surgery.
She attends the clinic rather than King Edward VII’s Hospital which is usually the go-to establishment for royal medical matters.
January 17
2pm – Kensington Palace announces the princess’s operation and says she will remain in the private hospital for 10-14 days.
She was not expected to return to duties until after Easter, taking up to three months to recover.
The Prince of Wales steps back from his official duties temporarily to care of his wife and children.
The exact nature of Kate’s condition is kept private, but it is not cancerous and Kensington Palace says the planned procedure was successful.
3.25pm – Buckingham Palace announces the King, 75, is to have treatment for a benign enlarged prostate and will be admitted to hospital in a few days.
A source later says the princess is “doing well”.
January 18
The Prince of Wales spends time at his wife’s bedside, driving himself away from the back entrance during the low-key, private visit.
A serious-looking William is seen leaving the private The London Clinic at about 12.35pm.
The Queen says the King is “fine” and “looking forward to getting back to work” during a visit to the Aberdeen Art Gallery.
January 19
The King flies back from Scotland with the Queen and heads to his Sandringham estate in Norfolk to rest ahead of the procedure.
January 21
It is announced that the King’s former sister-in-law, Sarah, Duchess of York, has malignant melanoma, a form of skin cancer.
It is less than a year since the duchess, 64, was diagnosed with breast cancer and had a mastectomy and reconstructive surgery.
January 22
The Queen tells 86-year-old well-wisher Jessie Jackson that the King is “fine”, and thanks her for asking, while she carries out engagements in Swindon.
Sarah, Duchess of York, meanwhile, describes her shock at having skin cancer but says she is in “good spirits” and “grateful for the many messages of love and support”, in a post on Instagram.
January 23
Kate’s hospital stay passes the one-week mark.
Camilla urges the King to take it easy.
An insider told The Sun: “The Queen has told him he needs to slow down a bit.”
January 25
The King carries out behind-the-scenes official duties, meeting academics from Cambridge University at Sandringham House.
He later arrives back in London from Norfolk ready for his treatment.
January 26
The King, with the Queen at his side, is admitted to the London Clinic for treatment for an enlarged prostate and also visits the Princess of Wales, who is recovering in the same hospital.
January 29
The King is discharged from hospital and waves at well-wishers.
Kate leaves the clinic the same day to continue her recovery at home.
January 31
Camilla says the King is “getting on, doing his best” as she opened a Maggie’s cancer support centre at the Royal Free Hospital in London.
February 4
The King and Queen attend church in Sandringham, with Charles waving at well-wishers.
February 5
Kensington Palace confirms the Prince of Wales is returning to official duties this week, beginning with an investiture.
6pm – Buckingham Palace announces the King has a form of cancer, but not prostate cancer, and has started treatment as an outpatient.
He will not carry out public-facing duties, but will carry on with behind the scenes state business and official papers.
February 7
The Prince of Wales speaks about the King’s cancer diagnosis for the first time and thanks the public for their “kind messages of support”.
William’s words of praise, delivered during a fundraising gala dinner, also recognise those who wished the Princess of Wales well as she recovers from planned abdominal surgery.
He tells the guests: “It means a great deal to us all.”
On the same day, Downing Street and Buckingham Palace confirm the King will hold his weekly audience with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak over the phone rather than face-to-face.
February 11
The King makes his first public appearance since the announcement of his cancer diagnosis when he visits St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham, Norfolk.
Charles, accompanied by the Queen, waves to the public before attending the morning service.
March 4
The Princess of Wales is photographed for the first time since undergoing abdominal surgery.
Kate is pictured near Windsor Castle on Monday in the passenger seat of a car, according to TMZ.
The news site said she was wearing dark sunglasses in the black Audi which was being driven by her mother, Carole Middleton.
The photo is understood to have been taken by paparazzi.
March 5
The Army removes a claim on its website that the Princess of Wales will review Trooping the Colour in June.
Tickets were being sold on the official website for the June 8 military spectacle, advertising an appearance by Kate, on Tuesday evening.
March 10
Questions are raised that the first picture of the Princess of Wales to be released after her abdominal surgery may have been manipulated before it was posted on social media by Kensington Palace.
The photo of Kate and her children, said by the palace to have been taken by the Prince of Wales in Windsor earlier this week, was posted to mark Mother’s Day.
The photograph is later withdrawn by international picture agencies because of concerns that the image had been manipulated.
March 11
The Princess of Wales publicly takes the blame for the manipulated family photograph released by Kensington Palace as she issued a personal apology for the “confusion”.
Kate said sorry with a statement on social media which read: “Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing.
“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. C.”
March 18
Footage emerges of the Princess of Wales alongside her husband during a visit to a farm shop in Windsor over the previous weekend.
March 19
An investigation is launched at the London Clinic over claims staff tried to access the Princess of Wales’s private medical records.
On the same day, the King holds a private audience with four Korean War veterans but does not attend a reception held by the Princess Royal and Duchess of Edinburgh at Buckingham Palace in which Charles, in a speech read by Anne on his behalf, praised the British veterans’ “valiant service”.
March 21
The King holds audiences with new high commissioners from Tanzania and Singapore.
Charles first holds an audience with Tanzania’s top diplomat Mbelwa Kairuki at Buckingham Palace.
He then meets Singapore’s high commissioner to the UK, Ng Teck Hean, and his wife.
March 22
6pm – In a recorded video message broadcast to the nation, the Princess of Wales announces she is having chemotherapy after tests following her surgery found cancer had been present.
March 28
The King addresses a congregation assembled at Worcester Cathedral for Royal Maundy Service through a pre-recorded audio message, though he does not attend in person.
Charles speaks of his “great sadness” in being unable to partake in the service and highlights his gratefulness for “those who extend the hand of friendship” to those in need.
Queen Camilla attends the service in his place.
Sunday March 31
The King attends an Easter Sunday church service in what marked his most significant public appearance since the announcement by Buckingham Palace in February that he had been diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer and is undergoing treatment.
Charles joins the Queen and other members of the royal family at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle on Sunday in a smaller version of the annual gathering.
The shamed Duke of York, who was blasted for grinning and smiling as he led the royals on foot to a thanksgiving service at the chapel last month, avoided any interaction with the public.
He was joined by ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, 64, who herself had had breast cancer and skin cancer in the past nine months.
It was Fergie’s first appearance at Easter Mattins service since she divorced Andy 28 years ago.
As is customary, the King sat inside the chapel in the Sovereign’s Seat which is situated at the front of the altar, along with his family who were in their usual places in the stalls.
The King has since his cancer diagnosis been kept away from large crowds due to his ongoing treatment.
His presence was part of a carefully arranged morning which saw him undertake the minimum amount of personal contact inside the service on doctors’ advice as part of their ‘risk management’ strategy while undergoing treatment.
He chose to skip the reception and lunch and instead headed back to Windsor Castle with the Queen by car.
Yesterday’s service was his biggest public event since Christmas Day at Sandringham.