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 continued 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.
Further gun salutes took place at Edinburgh Castle in Scotland, Cardiff Castle in Wales, and Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland.
However, there were no official events scheduled, and the milestone occurred less than a week after King Charles resumed public duties following 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 percent.
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 percent each, up 8–10 percent since last April.
Charles and Camilla’s coronation took place on May 6, with thousands braving the rainy weather to take to the streets to watch their procession in the Gold State Coach.
The deeply religious ceremony in London’s Westminster Abbey was followed by a weekend of celebrations, including a pop concert at Windsor, where royals including Prince George and Princess Charlotte danced the night away.
Buckingham Palace finally dropped “Consort” from Camilla’s title, cautiously letting the idea of a new Queen settle into the public’s consciousness in the wake of Elizabeth II’s death.
In the defining moment, St. Edward’s Crown was lowered onto the King’s head by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
The coronation brought together around 100 heads of state, kings and queens from across the globe, celebrities, everyday heroes, and family and friends of the couple.
Even the Duke of Sussex was there to witness the historic occasion despite his fractured relationship with Charles and William, and the Duke of York, who paid millions to settle a civil sexual assault case, attended in his Garter robes.
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