Britain’s King Charles III on Monday marked the first anniversary of his coronation following a difficult year that has seen a cancer diagnosis and continuing tensions with his estranged son Prince Harry.
To celebrate the occasion a 41-gun salute rang out from Green Park next to Buckingham Palace at noon (1100 GMT), followed an hour later with 62 volleys fired from another central London location.
No official events, however, were planned with the milestone coming less than a week after King Charles resumed public duties since his diagnosis.
He visited fellow cancer patients at a London hospital on Tuesday after doctors said they were “very encouraged” by his progress.
The 75-year-old monarch, who has not disclosed the type of cancer he has, was also reportedly keen to mark the day with minimal “fuss” given the link between his accession and the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth II.
The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, who crowned King Charles a year ago at Westminster Abbey, praised his “sense of duty”.
“The past year has presented the king with some great personal challenges. But I have been struck by his continued sense of duty, having recently returned to royal engagements following treatment,” he said.
“His openness in sharing his condition has been characteristic of his willingness to help and support others,” he added.
The anniversary comes as an Ipsos poll for the Daily Mail saw King Charles’s personal popularity rating rise slightly to 56 per cent.
His son and heir Prince William and his wife Catherine, the Princess of Wales, were the most popular members of the royal family with 69 per cent each, up 8-10 per cent since last April
