King Charles III, who resumed his public engagements on April 30, was this Monday with Prince William at the army aeronautical center in Middle Wallop.
King Charles, who held a rare joint engagement with Prince William this Monday, May 13, briefly mentioned certain side effects of his cancer treatment.
Visiting the Army Aeronautical Center at Middle Wallop, the King spoke with a veteran, cancer survivor, who confided that his own treatment had caused him to lose his taste. Charles III, who resumed his public engagements on April 30, is still being treated for cancer.
He arrived at Middle Wallop in Hampshire by helicopter, accompanied by Prince William, whom he appointed colonel-in-chief of the Army Air Corps, the combat air force of the British army.
“Great joy” and “great sadness”
This title, which fell to Charles 32 years ago, goes to the Prince of Wales. The king therefore gave this title to his son William, current Prince of Wales and himself a helicopter pilot. “A very good pilot,” commented the king. This is the first time since 2022 that the king has made a public engagement alongside Prince William.
The king also met soldiers and veterans accompanied by their families.
“Let me tell you that it is a great joy to be with you, even briefly, on this occasion, but also a great sadness, after 32 years of knowing you all, admiring your many activities and achievements during the period when I had the chance to be colonel-in-chief of the air corps of the army”, declared the king.
The Prince of Wales also posted a message on social media, showing his two previous visits to the Army Air Corps, in 1999 and 2008.
The visit comes as Prince Harry and Meghan’s trip to Nigeria concludes to promote the Invictus Games, a sporting event for injured military veterans.
Missed meeting with Harry
Harry, a former army captain, served as a helicopter pilot in Afghanistan, with the 662nd squadron, now under the leadership of his brother William.
If throughout last week, while Harry passed through the United Kingdom, speculation was rife about a possible meeting with Charles, this visit ended with another missed meeting.
While in London to attend a ceremony for the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games on May 8, the prince had nevertheless sent an invitation to his father due to schedule incompatibility.
As of Tuesday, a spokesperson for the prince explained that a meeting with his father would “unfortunately not be possible due to the very busy schedule” of Charles III: “The duke (…) hopes to see him soon.” Harry then flew to Nigeria, with his wife Meghan.
Buckingham Palace, silent on Harry’s visit, also chose to announce at the time of the religious ceremony for the Invictus Games, the ceremony this Monday, bringing together Charles and William.
A reconciliation seemed possible, however, when the king announced that he was ill and Prince Harry rushed to his bedside.
Contacts between Harry and the royal family have been broken off since the publication of Harry’s autobiography earlier this year, The Substitutewhich recounts Harry’s turbulent youth and notably evokes his relationships with his father and his brother William, described as “angry”.
