LONDON, United Kingdom — A year after ascending the British throne following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, King Charles III expressed his gratitude to the public for their unwavering support in a poignant statement issued on Friday, September 8, 2023.
The 74-year-old monarch, who is spending the anniversary at his sprawling estate in the Scottish Highlands, reflected on the legacy of his late mother and acknowledged the warm embrace he and his wife, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, have received from the public.
“I am deeply grateful, too, for the love and support that has been shown to my wife and myself during this year as we do our utmost to be of service to you all,” he said.
The king and Camilla will keep the commemorations low-key, attending nearby Crathie Kirk, the late Queen’s place of worship, for private prayers and reflection.
This mirrors Queen Elizabeth II’s approach to marking her own anniversaries; she spent significant dates privately, often at her estate in Norfolk, in eastern England.
In London, however, the occasion will be marked more ceremonially.
The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery will fire a 41-gun salute in Hyde Park, and the Honourable Artillery Company, the British Army’s oldest regiment, will fire a 62-gun salute from the Tower of London.
Both regiments were involved in the gun salutes marking the Queen’s death and King Charles’s accession last year.
The king’s eldest son, Prince William, and his wife, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, will also mark the day privately, attending a service at St Davids Cathedral in west Wales.
Prince Harry, who has been at odds with his family since stepping back from royal duties, acknowledged the occasion during a charity event, saying his late grandmother would have been pleased to see him serving the community.
Opinions on Charles’s first year as king are divided.
While some appreciate his measured approach in not introducing sweeping reforms, others, particularly younger Britons, remain indifferent or even skeptical about the monarchy’s future.
“The monarchy is dying. If he wants it not to die, then he needs to try to get the younger generation to like him — and we just don’t,” said nursing student Mimi Jaffer-Clarke, summing up a sentiment that King Charles III might find challenging as he navigates the first years of his reign.
