King Charles
With the crown into crisis
King Charles at his coronation on May 6, 2023 at Westminster Abbey.
© Dan Charity/The Sun/PA Photos
Charles celebrates his first coronation anniversary. Anyone who thought that the royals would calm down after the ceremony was wrong.
May 6th marks the anniversary of the coronation of Charles III (75) for the first time. Things didn’t get any quieter for the royals after the big ceremony, on the contrary: health problems and family dramas dominated the past few months. Nevertheless, the monarch seems to be on the mend and is currently attending appointments in public again about three months after his cancer diagnosis. This is how the first year after his coronation went for Charles.
The coronation on May 6, 2023
After his mother, Queen Elizabeth II (1926-2022), died in September 2022, Charles was crowned on May 6, 2023 at the age of 74. The lavish ceremony took place in London’s Westminster Abbey. Dignitaries from all over the world traveled to the British capital for this event. The guests included Prince Albert II (66) and his wife, Charlène of Monaco (46), King Felipe of Spain (56) and Queen Letizia (51) as well as many other greats from the royal families and politics. Millions of people watched the event on television. On the coronation weekend there were also many celebrations and a big concert at Windsor Castle.
Trooping the Color and Ascot in June
Another highlight after the coronation: King Charles took part in his first “Trooping the Color” parade as monarch on June 17th. He led them on horseback. According to British media reports, it was the first time in more than 30 years that a monarch sat on horseback in “Trooping the Color.” There was also the obligatory balcony appearance with his family afterwards. A few days later, Charles and his wife, Queen Camilla (76), attended the traditional horse race at Ascot for the first time as a royal couple.
Visit to France in September
King Charles then enjoyed his summer vacation at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. In September he and Camilla went abroad: the king and queen’s state visit to France took place. Charles impressed with a speech in French, while Camilla caused a stir with her floor-length, navy blue Dior cape gown at the state banquet in Versailles.
November: Family dispute is back in public
After the British monarch opened Parliament for the first time in his new position at the beginning of November and celebrated his 75th birthday on November 14th with a reception at Buckingham Palace, there was another scandal in the family dispute. The author Omid Scobie (42), an alleged confidant of Duchess Meghan (42) and Prince Harry (39), published his book “Endgame”.
The sale of the book was stopped in the Netherlands with media attention. The translated version is said to have included the names of two royal family members who are said to be involved in allegations that were first made by Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan in 2021. At the time, the Sussexes spoke in an interview with Oprah Winfrey (70) about how a member of the royal family had allegedly expressed concerns about the skin color of their son Archie before his birth. Thanks to Scobie’s book, the allegations were once again a topic in the British press for weeks. The tensions between Prince Harry, who has been living in the USA since 2020, and his family did not seem to be decreasing.
Charles then celebrated Christmas with his family at the royal estate in Sandringham – this is also a tradition that the king inherited from his mother.
January 2024: Health problems begin
The king and his family were not granted a happy new year. On January 17, it was announced that Charles would have to undergo surgery for an enlarged prostate. It was a double blow as Kensington Palace had previously released a statement saying his daughter-in-law Princess Kate, 42, needed abdominal surgery. King Charles left the hospital on January 29th.
February: Cancer shock
The big shock came on February 5th when Buckingham Palace announced that the king was now being treated for cancer. “During the King’s recent treatment in hospital for benign prostate enlargement, another worrying problem was identified. Subsequent diagnostic tests have identified a form of cancer,” the royal family said. Two days later, Prince Harry arrived from his adopted home of California to visit his father. However, according to British media reports, the two spoke to each other for less than an hour before Harry began his journey home.
March: Support for Kate
Charles continued to work in his office, but did not make any public appearances. The monarch spoke out, among other things, when the news of another serious blow of fate for the royals came to the public. Princess Kate released a video on March 22 in which she explained that she had cancer. Charles was one of the first to speak out after her video message with a statement: “His Majesty is so proud of Catherine for her courage to speak the way she did.”
The monarch himself now seems to be doing better again: at the end of March, King Charles appeared at the traditional Easter service in Windsor, and four weeks later he returned with his first public appearance. He visited a cancer treatment center in London with his wife Camilla. And there are also plans for the coming weeks: According to “Mail Online”, Charles is supposedly planning to take part in the “Trooping the Color” military parade in June on his favorite horse Noble.