Keeping it on the low. King Charles and Camilla’s anniversary plans will be very low-key this year. The monarchs are celebrating their 19th wedding anniversary on April 9, 2024.
The King and Queen Consort won’t be celebrating in a big manner, but they are certainly planning some romantic things together. Former royal butler Grant Harrold told The New York Post about how they regularly celebrate their anniversaries, but also how the King’s recent health problems are affecting their daily lives.
“I can’t believe it’s 19 years this year. I was there that day, in the church. They’ll celebrate it, but they’re not big [on celebrations],” Harrold said of the couple. “They don’t have parties or anything like that at all. Maybe for 20 years, they will. But it’s normally marked privately between the two of them. I’m sure there’ll be a card and then a gift, very similar to the way that other people celebrate it.”
The former butler called this year “emotional” and “poignant” than most. “I have no doubt they’ll be together for the occasion, and I’m sure behind closed doors, they’ll probably have a romantic dinner with just the two of them,” he said.
“With the king’s treatment he might not have any other people there, so it is likely to be private between the two of them,” he recalled. Though it was reported that King Charles would be celebrating Easter in a more private manner, he ended up celebrating with more people than usual.
In January 2024, King Charles was admitted to a hospital for a routine procedure to treat an enlarged prostate. But less than two weeks after the operation, Buckingham Palace announced that doctors discovered the monarch had “a form of cancer” following additional tests. “His Majesty has today commenced a schedule of regular treatments, during which time he has been advised by doctors to postpone public-facing duties,” the palace shared in a statement on February 5, 2024. “Throughout this period, His Majesty will continue to undertake State business and official paperwork as usual.”
The statement continued: “The King is grateful to his medical team for their swift intervention, which was made possible thanks to his recent hospital procedure. He remains wholly positive about his treatment and looks forward to returning to full public duty as soon as possible. His Majesty has chosen to share his diagnosis to prevent speculation and in the hope it may assist public understanding for all those around the world who are affected by cancer.”
King Charles expressed his immense gratitude for the support he’s received from around the world. “As all those who have been affected by cancer will know, such kind thoughts are the greatest comfort and encouragement,” he shared on Saturday, February 10, 2024.
“It is equally heartening to hear how sharing my own diagnosis has helped promote public understanding and shine a light on the work of all those organizations which support cancer patients and their families across the UK and wider world,” he continued in his statement. “My lifelong admiration for their tireless care and dedication is all the greater as a result of my own personal experience.”