King Charles and Queen Camilla are spending time in Scotland on what would have been Queen Elizabeth 98th birthday.
On April 21, the royal couple were photographed leaving a church service at Crathie Kirk, near Balmoral Castle in Scotland. King Charles, 75, drove himself and his wife, 76, as they waved and smiled at onlookers while departing.
This year marks the late Queen’s second posthumous birthday following her death in September 2022 at age 96. And following their attendance at church, the royal couple will likely spend the day celebrating her in private.
Grant Harrold, who from from 2004 to 2011 served on the couple’s staff, said there will be reflections, tributes and toasts in honor of the late Queen, but added that the family “won’t publicly do anything.”
“Privately, I have no doubt they’ll raise a toast to her in the evening. I’m sure the day will very much be spent reflecting on the late Queen,” Harrold told Slingo
“I can almost guarantee that if you were to go to Windsor Castle that day, it’s very likely there’ll be some flowers on the tomb that have been sent by the family members,” he added. “Sometimes on royal anniversaries, flowers are sent to royal graves. It’s very possible there will be flowers on the tombstone.”
For the royal couple, the church outing on the late monarch’s birthday was one of a string of more public appearances the King has made since he announced his cancer diagnosis in February.
The announcement came weeks after King Charles underwent a procedure to treat an enlarged prostate in January, during which “a separate issue of concern was noted,” the palace said in a statement. (They clarified that the monarch did not have prostate cancer and noted that the type of cancer the King has will not be disclosed to the public)
He then began “a schedule of regular treatments” and postponed most public-facing duties, following medical advice.
He made his first public appearance following the diagnosis at Easter when he attended a church service at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle with Queen Camilla and other royal family members.
Following the service, the King did a surprise walkabout, shaking hands and greeting members of the public who were gathered outside.
On April 18, King Charles and Queen Camilla were seen out in London again as they left Clarence House, their royal residence, and were once again waving and smiling at onlookers as they drove away.
Source People.com
Queen Camilla herself recently to a break from public duties for the Easter holiday and for a celebration of her 19th wedding anniversary with the King on April 9.
She resumed her royal duties on April 16 as she welcomed a group of young representatives from Changemakers, a youth group offshoot of SafeLives, a national charity that fights to end domestic abuse, to Buckingham Palace.
