King Charles has shown incredible strength this year (Image: Getty)
There’s no denying that 2024 has been an extremely challenging year for the King.
Just 18 months into his reign, he was given the diagnosis no one wants to receive and was told he’d have to take a break from his favourite part of the job.
But he refused to completely step back from his role, busying himself with state papers and often being photographed waving to members of the public as he travelled in his State Bentley.
Charles was keen to stay seen and reassure the public that he was alright.
Easter – a celebration of hope, renewal and new beginnings – saw the King interact with members of the public for the first time, and it was clear just how energised he was by the social interaction.
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Weeks later, he returned to public-facing duties and started to pack in engagements, determined to be as visible and active as possible.
Charles appeared buoyed by being out and about again, laughing and chatting with members of the public and supporting causes he cares so deeply about.
Over the coming months, he visited France, Jersey and Guernsey – and even interrupted his summer break at Balmoral to travel to Southport in August to express his support for the town after the horror stabbings that left three young girls dead.
While the Queen and others close to him feared he was overexerting himself, the King continued to honour the coronation oath he took just a year earlier to govern and do his duty.
And as his busy schedule continued – culminating in his first long-haul trip since his diagnosis – there were few signs that this was a man who was battling cancer.
This is the image he and the Palace want to project into the New Year—a king who is on a positive trajectory and is busy planning a full and normal programme of events, both at home and abroad.
While 2024 proved to be a great personal challenge for the king, he undoubtedly became stronger, and much of the public will have a newfound respect for their head of state.
Not only has he persevered despite ongoing treatment, but he’s let the public into his private life in a way the Royal Family has never done before.
Charles’ decision to reveal his cancer diagnosis shattered the illusion that the king is super-human and proved a sobering reminder that the disease can affect anyone.
Not many people could cope with the demands of being monarch while undergoing gruelling treatment, and the king has shown remarkable strength not just to carry on but to press ahead with renewed vigour and determination.