As King Charles and Queen Camilla enjoyed a morning service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham just last week, all eyes gravitated towards the royal couple — especially the former with the ongoing news of his cancer treatment.
The two seemed to be in good spirits as they embraced the chilly weather in fashionable coats and ties, with the Queen donning a warm fluffy hat and black handbag.
But as multiple photos were being taken, some shots of the king smiling into the camera caught people’s attention.
New photos of King Charles spark health concerns
A writer for news.com.au, Daniela Elser, said the “ordinary” looking photo laid “the desperate situation that’s unfolding behind Palace gates.”
After comparing it to a photo of the 76-year-old from 2020, when he attended a different St Mary Magdalene in Jerusalem, Israel, she came to one conclusion: the difference was “unmistakeable” and his change in appearance was “painfully hard to ignore.”
Especially regarding his current battle with cancer, Elser raised concerns about his health.
“The King might have been all smiles at church in late January, but Buckingham Palace is today facing down a previously unheard of, never-considered royal scenario — how to keep Crown Inc going in the time of an ageing, cancer-battling monarch who is increasingly rattling around the Palace, stranded and with fewer than ever people to call on,” she wrote.
She compared it with the last few years of Queen Elizabeth II’s life where, even though her decline in health was noticeable, she had many members of the royal family “waiting in the wings,” to help her out, if needed.
“She had not only the then-Prince Charles but also Prince William and Kate, then the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and for a couple of glorious years, the razzle and/or dazzle of Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex,” Elser said.
A writer from news.com.au pointed out how the King doesn’t have as many people supporting his declining health
The late Queen also had her three other children — Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, and Prince Edward — to count on until late 2019.
But King Charles doesn’t have that luxury now, as said in the article. Those who are capable of answering any calls he may have are dwindling, which has amped up concerns.
“As he ages and as he battles cancer, he has only very few working members of the royal family left he can rely on and delegate to in order to help him shoulder the load,” the writer wrote, adding that his isolation was on plain sight as he traveled to Poland to attend the 80th anniversary commemorations of the liberation of Auschwitz.
The contrast in the King’s face was “painfully hard to ignore”
A few days ago, February 5, marked the one year anniversary of Buckingham Palace’s statement that King Charles had been diagnosed with cancer, a battle he is still currently fighting.
While the type of cancer has not yet been revealed, the message said the King remained positive regarding his treatments.
The weekend after, on February 10, 2024, the King came out with his own personal message.
The King was diagnosed with cancer last year
“I would like to express my most heartfelt thanks for the many messages of support and good wishes I have received in recent days,” he said. “As all those who have been affected by cancer will know, such kind thoughts are the greatest comfort and encouragement.”
He went on to write, “It is equally heartening to hear how sharing my own diagnosis has helped promote public understanding and shine a light on the work of all those organizations which support cancer patients and their families across the UK and wider world.
“My lifelong admiration for their tireless care and dedication is all the greater as a result of my own personal experience.”
The health concerns fueled comments — and not all were sympathetic
