Today marks the one-year anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s passing and King Charles’s accession to the throne. King Charles and Queen Camilla stepped out this morning in Scotland, making sure that they were photographed going into the small church at Balmoral. The king also released a statement and several portraits of his mother, including “one of his favorite portraits” of QEII, a 1968 Cecil Beaton portrait taken of the queen in all of her Garter regalia. You can hear/read Charles’s statement below.
In marking the first anniversary of Her late Majesty’s death and my Accession, we recall with great affection her long life, devoted service and all she meant to so many of us.
I am deeply grateful, too, for the love and support that has been shown to my wife and myself during… pic.twitter.com/NfM6LDWTA0
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) September 7, 2023
Meanwhile, Project Embiggening Charles continues unabated. There’s been a flurry of “one year of Charles’s reign” pieces throughout the week, and Valentine Low’s piece in the Times included a hilarious comment about how Charles perked up as soon as his mom kicked the royal bucket.
A source who knows the King well said: “Before he acceded the throne, there was obviously a lot of nervousness around what would happen to the country following the demise of the Queen. And there was certainly nervousness around how people would accept him in those first few days.”
However, within a day of her death, when the King made his first address to the nation, in which he spoke of his “profound sorrow” at the loss of his “darling mama”, that nervousness began to dissipate.
“Immediately, things began to steady themselves,” said the source. Since then, the source argues, the King has shown himself to be sure-footed, and has enabled the public to refocus on the causes he champions, including the environment.
That much would seem to be borne out by opinion polls. A recent survey by YouGov found that 59 per cent of people thought the King was doing a good job. As for Charles, who became monarch a year ago on Friday, he seems to be thriving: “Someone who knows him well said to me, ‘He looks ten years younger and he has got a real sense of purpose about him,’” said the source.
“He looks ten years younger and he has got a real sense of purpose about him” – I actually think it’s true, and it’s funny that it’s true. The man turns 75 years old in two months and he could totally pass for a man of 65. He’s truly never been happier than he has been in the past year. Which is why all of the mourning/grief setpieces kind of fell flat – no one really bought the new king’s fake mourning.
Photos courtesy of Cover Images.
-
- Handout photo dated October 16, 1968 taken by Cecil Beaton, issued by the Royal Collection Trust/His Majesty King Charles III 2023 of the late Queen Elizabeth II to mark the anniversary of her passing. PA Photo. See PA story ANNIVERSARY Queen . Mandatory credit must read: Royal Collection Trust/His Majesty King Charles III 2023/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder. Featuring: Queen Elizabeth II When: 16 Oct 1968 Credit: Royal Collection Trust/His Majesty King Charles III 2023/PA Wire **NEWS EDITORIAL USE ONLY – NO COMMERICIAL USE WHATSOEVER ONLY TO BE USED IN THE CONTEXT OF HER MAJESTY’S ANNIVERSARY/ACCESSION IMAGE MUST NOT BE DIGITALLY ENHANCED, MANIPULATED OR MODIFIED IN ANY FORM NOT TO BE USED AFTER 0001 FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 15, 2023 WITHOUT PRIOR WRITTEN PERMISSION FROM ROYAL COMMUNICATIONS**
-
- King Charles III arrives at Crathie Parish Church, near Balmoral, for a church service, to mark the first anniversary of the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Featuring: King Charles III Where: Balmoral, Scotland, United Kingdom When: 08 Sep 2023 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
-
- Queen Camilla arrives at Crathie Parish Church, near Balmoral, for a church service, to mark the first anniversary of the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Featuring: Queen Camilla Where: Balmoral, Scotland, United Kingdom When: 08 Sep 2023 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
-
- King Charles III and Queen Camilla arrive at Crathie Parish Church, near Balmoral, for a church service, to mark the first anniversary of the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Featuring: King Charles III Where: Balmoral, Scotland, United Kingdom When: 08 Sep 2023 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
There is nothing like the death of a parent to put a spring in your step, give your life purpose & make you look ten years younger. Long live QEII.
🤭
Nah, he couldn’t pass for a 65 year old – at least not in my neck of the woods.
Yeah, I’m sorry he doesn’t look 10 years younger or 65 to me. He does look happy to be king but he looks like a 75 year old that’s happy to be king.
I came here just to ask the same question? He does? He looks older than 75 to me, and I am being really honest. Charles can easily pass for 85..
I don’t think he looks 65, but I think its a comparison thing. I think Charles now, in September 2023, looks 5-10 years younger than Charles looked in September 2022.
This exactly. He is said to have rosacea and the redness that can come with it is nearly gone.
Yeah, IMO this last year has aged KC. He definitely looks like a man in his 70s, and he’s less prominent than he was last year before his mother died. Remember that he had to “rest” after the coronation (where he did not come across as either strong or regal)? I’m fairly certain that this “he looks ten years younger “ is obsequious flattery to get in the king’s good graces.
Chucky and his reign have both aged like milk and that’s me trying to put a positive spin on this article.
His purpose seems to do all in his power to destroy his son Harry. That and bring his pedo brother back into the fold.
Charles has not changed he still is causing trouble for harry and Meghan and refused to go to his youngest grandchild christening. And he will probably arrange a joint appearance with Andrew. Overall Charles has not aged well.imo
Cams looking underdressed for this last-minute photo call.
Indeed, where is her tartan lol
I don’t think he looks younger but he’s happy that he got the con a nation despite the protest signs.
His bored, condescending aristocratic manner of speech is like nails on a chalkboard to me.
Agreed. Could there be any less emotion in his voice? And I notice he only mentioned himself and “his wife.” Nothing about support to the family or any reference to his brothers and sister. I realize he was raised to be a self-absorbed twit, but seriously….
Agree. He sounds utterly bored and completely uncaring. Very bizarre way to talk about the mother you allegedly loved.
It seems both Harry and Charles have beaten William in the Deathiversary Sweepstakes.
Some courtier probably vetoed the day of quiet reflection so out he comes
Anything to please the press.
Charle and his oldest son both seem a lot happier since the Queen died, they don’t even really try to hide it. I don’t think anyone expected them to wear black for a year etc (I mean, when my grandmother died at 92, we barely mourned because she had been declining for so long that we had already mourned, you know?) So in terms of not publicly wallowing in grief – well I don’t think anyone expected that. But I did expect some family members to hide their immediate glee (cough Kate.)
That said, I thought his social media was appropriate, I liked that it was a voiceover and not just a video of Charles talking.
To be fair, he’d been waiting 70+ years to finally do the job he was created to do. Who wouldn’t be all, FINALLY I GET TO MOVE ON WITH MY LIFE after that?
Mummy’s gone that’s why.
A walking talking ghoul is what he looks like, a Charlie Chaplin era villain. Both he and Cowmilla look like they smell bad, bad hygiene odors.
It was a nice, appropriate statement. Charles’ PR game has been on point these last few weeks, not gonna lie. Yes, it’s PR and not sincerity, but compared to the comms coming out of KP, Charles is playing 4D chess and they’re getting beaten at checkers.
I thought his statement, specifically about “Her late Majesty”, sounded impersonal. He literally said a few perfunctory words about QEII before begging for “love and support” for himself and his partner in crime.
Charles’ statement could have been written by ChatGPT. There is nothing in the least personal about it. Why refer to his Accession at all in this? Chat GPT would not have made the grammatical mistakes, though, which are astonishing: I am deeply grateful, too, for the love and support that HAVE (not has) been shown to my wife and ME (not myself) during… Sheesh!
Sophie it’s not a Grammar mistake. He did it to wrap back to him. He probably recorded it ten times to lessen the harshness.
MYSELF MYSELF MYSELF.
HAS cause it’s in the past, love me now. — See. Lol.
@SURE I found that odd as well, why would he not mention his _mother_ in this? So weird and unpersonal.
Kaiser, I know this is your pet peeve but damn, this pic is the strongest resemblance I’ve seen between Charles and his mother! (Sorry).
I don’t think he looks younger but I do think he looks healthy here. Morbid to discuss someone’s life expectancy but I don’t think Willy should twiddle his thumbs expecting the job anytime soon, and I assume that’s the intention behind this statement from Charles’s camp.
It is objectively weird for someone at this stage in history to be under their mother’s thumb until they were 75 years old. So I could see what his attitude around his mother’s death might seem a little weird to us normies.
^^ Right. But that’s how the archaic British patriarchal monarchy rolls. And how the toxic Windsors operate.
He’s five months older than me. Neither of us looks 65 but maybe that’s wishful thinking 🤔.
I’m sure he misses his “darling mama”. That’s probably wishful thinking too.
Ahhh, so now we know why he went to Transilvsnia, it was to Bath in the blood of Virgins to try and regain his youth 😂🛀🛀10 years younger 😂😂😂Oh my, I want what they are drinking, seriously though he looks better, because he’s not worrying that he would pop his clogs before his mother did. That’s all.
Wouldn’t surprise me. He looks more like a vampire in every picture I see.
He in no way looks 65 lol. My Mom turns 70 in October and he looks a good DECADE older than her.
A friend of mine actually asked Chat GPT to write a two-sentence statement from Charles marking the one-year anniversary of the death of his mother — he specified that it should thank the public and, importantly, must be as boring as possible.
Hilariously, it was better than Charles’ statement.
“Ladies and gentlemen, on this solemn occasion marking the one-year anniversary of the passing of my beloved mother, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, I wish to express my heartfelt gratitude to the public for their enduring support and unwavering commitment during this period of reflection and remembrance. May we continue to find solace in the memories of her reign as we look towards the future with unwavering resolve and determination.”
That’s a telling commentary on the absence of content (feeling? emotion? connection?) in Charles’ pronouncements.
Now I have to wonder how many of the so-called Royal Family and their courtiers are actually AI?
They’re more AS – Artificial Stupidity.
^^ ROFL! 🤣🤣🤣😂😅🤪
Charles recalls his mother “with great affection.” I guess “love” was out of the question. Whatever love means.
And there are more words in the statement about him and his wife than about the late queen.
Looks like he finally got laser treatment for his rosacea. His skin looks much better.
-well, while you are here let me talk about the wife and I.- I assume Prince Charles. I watched the clip before reading the article and this sprung to mind.
A courtier probably told him to “do something”, I seriously doubt they came up with this. The only way a worker came up with this is if it was the only way to get chuck to do anything.
I laugh but I agree with the quiet reflection. The Crown has spent too much money these last 2 years. You got Philip death memorial which should’ve had more people to be honest. Then eliza birthday bash, kates new clothes, eliza death, and chuck 2 coronations. So whatever the family decides to do it should be cheap. Did her other kids do anything or are they mad they have to rely on chuck.
Does Charles go commando in his kilt, like the Scots do? Maybe that made him feel ten years younger. It certainly wasn’t the death of his mother, which he waited for with baited breath for years (including when he visited her while he had active Covid).
Has anyone else noticed the reddish ring around Charles’ mouth that has shown up in the past year or two? I met someone else who had that and they said it appeared after they had Covid and is a lingering effect.
But has his hair gone quite gold from grief?
They are really laying it on thick. Charles is a shabby little man who looked like he was playing dress up in his ridiculous robes. Even his demeanor seemed glum, as if he was thinking: “It was supposed to be GRANDER than this. Why wasn’t it as GRAND as it should have been! Woe is me!”
They have been putting concealer on him for the last year or two. I assume some palace person noticed all the comments about how red he looked. It actually makes him look sickly at times. Or maybe he was/is sickly.
Regardless, I think he looks better than he did at the end of last year but certainly not ten years younger. 🧐
OK, their sucking up is getting crazy. That man has not looked like 65 since the late nineties. He was an old looking 50. He looks closer to 85 than 65.