King Charles paid tribute to his beloved mother as he attended a commemorative church service in Balmoral on the second anniversary of the late Queen’s death.
Charles and Queen Camilla joined the congregation at Crathie Kirk on Sunday for a “poignant” service for Queen Elizabeth II, who died peacefully at Balmoral at the age of 96 on 8 September 2022.
A small crowd gathered to see the King arrive at the church, as he sat in the back seat of the maroon state Bentley with Camilla at his side at 11.25am.
Camilla, dressed in a green jacket with red and green tartan lapels and a green hat decorated with a feather, smiled at awaiting photographers and camera crews as she held her handbag on her lap.
The King, who had a pink flower in the lapel of his charcoal grey jacket, was seen adjusting his cuffs as he prepared for the service.
The late Queen was a regular and devout worshiper at the tiny granite Crathie Kirk on Royal Deeside. Sunday’s service was led by Rev Kenneth MacKenzie, who ministered the late Queen in her final days and supported the royal family following her death.
Guest preacher at the divine service, the Rt Rev Dr Shaw Paterson, described the anniversary as “particularly significant and poignant for the royal family” as he described how the King was “very well-known and liked” in the local community around Balmoral and is “very much part of it” – just like the late Queen.
Tributes were paid to the Queen, with the monarchy’s official social media account posting a photograph on X/Twitter, of her beaming at a summer Buckingham Palace garden party in 2019.
The image of the smiling monarch, in a pale pink hat and matching outfit, appeared alongside the words: “Remembering Queen Elizabeth II, 1926-2022″.
Accession Day is a deeply personal time for the King, being the anniversary of both the historic start of his reign as Charles III and the sad loss of his beloved mother.
Charles has faced a personally challenging second year as sovereign, marked by the difficult double health blow of his cancer diagnosis and that of his daughter-in-law the Princess of Wales.
News of the King’s cancer – undisclosed in its form – came on 5 February, after it was discovered while he was treated in hospital for an enlarged prostate.
Charles cancelled all face-to-face public duties, and the Prince of Wales, who was caring for Kate after she had major abdominal surgery in January, returned to work, with the Queen and the Princess Royal also holding the fort.
The King’s second year as monarch has been less hectic than his first, with cancer treatment understandably having an impact on his schedule, though he has still undertaken dozens of visits, meetings and events.
Charles has carried out official engagements on 132 days during the past year, compared with 161 days in the previous 12 months, according to analysis of the Court Circular.
Charles returned to public-facing duties in April by visiting a cancer centre in London, with his medical team “very encouraged” by the progress he had made.
Camilla gave an insight into the King’s treatment this week when she opened a new cancer centre in Bath, revealing he was “doing very well”.
The couple are set to embark on a long-haul overseas tour of Australia and Samoa in the autumn, with Charles’s health said to be “heading in a very positive trajectory”.
Meanwhile, Kate is reportedly hoping to make a return to public life in the coming months.
The princess, 42, has made two official public appearances since her diagnosis – attending Trooping the Colour in June and presenting the Wimbledon men’s trophy in July.
According to The Times, it is understood she is hoping to join the royal family at the Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday and host her Christmas carol concert.