King Charles quipped that he must “obey instructions” amid his cancer battle when he and Queen Camilla greeted well-wishers after the Easter Sunday service at Windsor Castle.
Charles and Camilla kept things low-key this year as the 75-year-old monarch is going through his treatment for an undisclosed form of cancer.
After not being able to attend the annual pre-Easter ceremony at Worcester Cathedral on Thursday, they delighted members of the public with their outing to the service at the weekend.
A gentleman from the small group who were invited inside the castle walls to meet the couple told the sovereign: “Happy Easter, Your Majesty. Keep going strong, keep going strong, never give in.”
To which, he said with a smile: “I have to obey my instructions!”
Other members of the Royal Family in attendance included Princess Anne and husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, Prince Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, Edward and Sophie, and their son James, as well as the Earl of Wessex.
For the service, Charles sat in the Sovereign's Seat near the altar at the chapel with Camilla, 76, and the rest of the family not too far away.
In a rare, pre-recorded audio message to announce his “great sadness” at not being able to attend the Maundy Thursday ceremony, the king stressed the importance of “friendship” to the nation.
He said: “Ladies and gentlemen, it is for me a great sadness that I cannot be with you all today. The Monty service has a very special place in my heart.
“It has its origin in the life of our Lord, who will note before his disciples, and to their great surprise, wash their travel-weary feet.
“And as we have just heard, in doing so, he deliberately gave to them and to us all, an example of how we should serve and care for each other. In this country, we are blessed by all the different services that exist for our welfare.
“In this country, we are blessed by all the different services that exist for our welfare. But over and above these organisations and their selfless staff, we need and benefit greatly from those who extend the hand of friendship to us, especially in a time of need.”
Bang Showbiz