Yahoo Movies Photos show what King Charles' reign has been like so far, from ascending the throne to a cancer diagnosis
King Charles III became monarch when Queen Elizabeth II, his mother, died on September 8, 2022.
The king's first year and a half as monarch have been eventful from the start.
From his ascension to a cancer diagnosis, here's what Charles' reign has been like so far.
Queen Elizabeth II died on September 8, 2022, ending her tenure as the longest-reigning monarch in the United Kingdom's history.
Her eldest son, King Charles III, became monarch the moment she died. He had 73 years to train for the job, and he stepped into his mother's shoes immediately, leading her funeral processions and guiding the UK into a new era.
The king's first year and a half on the throne have included historic events, like his coronation, as well as more challenging times, such as his recent cancer diagnosis.
Take a look at photos of what King Charles' reign has been like so far.
Queen Elizabeth II died on September 8, 2022, at Balmoral in Scotland, and the public got its first glimpse of King Charles III the next day.
Before Buckingham Palace announced that Elizabeth II died at 96, members of the royal family rushed to be with her, including Charles, Camilla, Prince William, Prince Harry, and Prince Andrew, as well as Prince Edward and his wife Sophie.
The public did not see Charles as monarch until September 9, when he left Balmoral to return to London.
The same day, the monarch met with then-Prime Minister Liz Truss, the last prime minister to have a weekly audience with Queen Elizabeth.
The king was greeted by a large crowd of people and cheers of "Long live the king" when he arrived at the palace on September 9.
He then had his first engagement as monarch, meeting with then-Prime Minister Liz Truss. She resigned just a week after meeting the king.
Charles also gave his first address as monarch that day, during which he paid tribute to the Queen, gave Prince William a new title, and sent his love to Prince Harry.
In the prerecorded address, the king paid tribute to the Queen for her work as monarch and as his mother.
He also named William and Kate Middleton the Prince and Princess of Wales. Charles had held the title Prince of Wales since 1958, and no one had been named the Princess of Wales since Princess Diana until Charles appointed it to Kate.
During his speech, he did not announce a title change for Harry and Meghan Markle, but he voiced his "love for Harry and Meghan as they continue to build their lives overseas."
The following day, Charles was officially proclaimed king by the Privy Council at St James's Palace at the first meeting of an Accession Council to be broadcast live in history.
Although Charles became monarch the moment Elizabeth died, he was officially proclaimed king in a ceremony called the Accession Council two days later.
The ceremony was followed by the king's first meeting of the Privy Council, ushering in Charles' reign.
In between his formal engagements, the king greeted his new subjects in his first days as monarch.
He was photographed throughout the Queen's funeral processions shaking hands with well-wishers along the royal mall.
Four days after his mother's death, Charles and his siblings stood vigil over her coffin at St Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh, Scotland, for a Service of Thanksgiving.
The Queen's four children — Charles, Princess Anne, Andrew, and Edward — processed behind her coffin as it was brought to the cathedral.
They then stood vigil with the Royal Company of Archers around her coffin for around 10 minutes in what is known as the Vigil of the Princes.
The king showed a public moment of frustration in the early days of his reign when he had a leaky pen during a signing ceremony at Northern Ireland's Hillsborough Castle. "I can't bear this bloody thing!" he said.
As a CBS News video showed, the monarch's pen started leaking after he signed a book with the wrong date. He handed Camilla the pen, venting his frustration as he saw ink on his fingers.
"Oh God, I hate this," he said. The ink got on Camilla's hands until an aide took it from her.
"I can't bear this bloody thing!" the king said. "What they do, every stinking time."
Charles was photographed with Meghan and Harry for the first time in years on September 14, 2022, as they awaited the arrival of Queen Elizabeth's casket at Buckingham Palace.
When the photo was taken, Harry and Charles hadn't been photographed together since Prince Philip's funeral in April 2021, while Meghan and the king were last pictured together in November 2019.
The Sussexes' relationship with the monarch had been strained since Meghan and Harry stepped back as senior royals in January 2020 and further fractured after they sat for an interview with Oprah Winfrey that aired in March 2021.
A photo of the royals released on September 18, 2022, set a more relaxed tone for the monarchy's new leadership under Charles. The couples appeared more affectionate with one another compared to previous portraits.
In the photo taken on September 18, 2022, at the palace, Camilla and Charles wrap their arms around each other and stand next to William and Kate.
The picture, taken by royal photographer Chris Jackson, marked the first portrait of the new "fab four."
The king left a note on his mother's coffin during her funeral at Westminster Abbey on September 19, 2022, that read, "In loving and devoted memory. Charles R."
During the historic funeral, the king laid a wreath with a note on the casket after processing behind it.
The wreath was made of flowers from a plant descended from one that was in the Queen's wedding bouquet when she married Prince Philip.
On October 3, 2022, Charles and Camilla visited Dunfermline, Scotland, to name it a new city. The kilt-wearing sovereign was met with cheers from the crowd.
As Business Insider previously reported, the town was made a new city as part of Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee.
Cheering crowds greeted the monarch, who was wearing a kilt.
The kilt-wearing king also visited Aberdeen Town House in Scotland on October 17, 2022.
Once again donning a kilt, the king spent time with families who came to Aberdeen from Syria, Ukraine, and Afghanistan.
A day later, Charles and Camilla visited the London community organization Project Zero, where he demonstrated that he intended to make the monarchy accessible to the public.
The organization promotes community and social engagement for young people.
Just a month after meeting Liz Truss, Charles appointed his second Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, on October 25, 2022.
Sunak is the first Hindu person and person of color to be the British prime minister.
Ahead of his meeting with Sunak, the king had a final audience with Truss, where she submitted her resignation, as the royal family shared on its website.
The king made a rare television appearance in an episode of the BBC's show "The Repair Shop" to celebrate 100 years of the network on October 26, 2022.
—The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) October 26, 2022
The king filmed an episode of the BBC series, which features experts repairing heirlooms, when he was still the Prince of Wales on September 21, 2021, according to Country Living.
The king submitted two royal heirlooms to be repaired by host Jay Blades and his team, as the royal family shared on its website: a vase made for Queen Victoria to celebrate her Diamond Jubilee and a clock from the 18th century that belonged to the Dumfries House.
The king laughed throughout the episode, and he seemed to be emotional when he discovered the show's team was able to fix the vase he had submitted.
In late October 2022, the king met with multiple incoming ambassadors and high commissioners in "credential" meetings at the palace.
Harry notably has a close relationship with the Prince of Lesotho and has traveled to the country many times.
The palace announced on October 28, 2022, that Charles appointed himself Captain General of the Royal Marines, the ceremonial head of the Royal Marines, replacing Harry.
After Harry was stripped of those titles and patronages when he stepped back as a senior royal in January 2020, the position of Captain General of the Royal Marines was vacant.
On October 28, 2022, the palace shared that the king chose himself to fill the role. The announcement came a day after the release date and title for Harry's memoir, "Spare," were announced to the public.
The king hosted Team Great Britain athletes who recently medaled at the Olympic and Paralympic Games at the palace on November 2, 2022.
The king's sister Anne, brother Edward, wife Camilla, and the Duke of Gloucester joined the monarch at the reception.
The next day, Charles and Camilla visited the "Africa Fashion" exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum.
According to the Victoria and Albert Museum's website, the exhibition celebrates African fashion from the mid-20th century to the present day.
Charles hosted leaders at the palace in honor of the Sharm el-Sheikh Climate Change Conference (Cop27) a day later.
The Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change meets annually, and the 27th annual event was held in Egypt in November 2022.
The king could not attend the Cop27 Summit, but he hosted a reception celebrating the event at the palace on November 4, 2022.
Leaders and famous people attended the event, including Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and designer Stella McCartney.
A heckler egged Charles and Camilla during a walkabout in Yorkshire ahead of a statue unveiling on November 9, 2022.
During the walkabout, a protester threw eggs at them, as a representative of the North Yorkshire Police Service told BI at the time.
No eggs hit the monarch or Camilla, and police arrested the 23-year-old.
The king and other senior royals attended the Festival of Remembrance to honor those who served the Commonwealth at Royal Albert Hall on November 12, 2022.
The festival honors people who died while serving the Commonwealth, according to its website, and a tribute to the Queen was included in the service.
Charles and William participated in a Remembrance Sunday ceremony the next day.
The ceremony at the Cenotaph on Whitehall pays tribute to British service members who died.
The king laid a wreath during the event that honored Queen Elizabeth and his grandfather, King George VI.
After a weekend of remembrances, Charles marked his 74th birthday with a ceremony that included a rendition of "Happy Birthday" by the Band of the Household Cavalry and a gun salute at the King's Troop at Green Park in London.
The palace also announced the king would become The Ranger of Windsor Great Park, a title previously held by his father, Prince Philip, on his 74th birthday.
The king hosted the president of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, for a state visit on November 22, 2022.
Ramaphosa visited the UK for two days for the state visit, according to the royal website.
Charles and Camilla greeted Ramaphosa at the royal pavilion on November 22, 2022, and they held a reception for the president at the palace that evening.
On November 24, 2022, Charles held a luncheon for Members of the Order of Merit, a group of people who are honored for their "exceptional" service.
The Order of Merit consists of a group of people who performed "exceptionally meritorious service in Our Crown Services or towards the advancement of the Arts, Learning, Literature, and Science or such other exceptional," according to the royal family's website.
During the luncheon, six new members were invested in the Order.
The king joined Olena Volodymyrivna Zelenska, the first lady of Ukraine, at the opening of a new welcome center for displaced families from Ukraine on November 30, 2022.
The king spent time with Ukrainian families, staff, and volunteers at the welcome center, which is part of the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral of the Holy Family in Exile.
The center will help Ukrainian citizens settle in the UK amid the ongoing war with Russia.
Charles visited Guru Nanak Gurdwara, a new temple in Bedfordshire, England, on December 6, 2022.
The king learned about the Guru Nanak Gurdwara's programming during the visit. According to the royal family, he spent time with volunteers, even sitting in on a session in the nonprofit's prayer hall.
The king was spotted for the first time after the premiere of Netflix's "Harry & Meghan" at a service for an Ethiopian church on December 8, 2022.
The king's appearance came amid multiple reports from outlets like People, The Independent, and Page Six, citing unnamed palace sources that the royal family was not given a chance to comment on the docuseries before it premiered.
However, a Netflix source whose identity is known to BI said Charles and William's offices were contacted directly about the show.
The following day, Charles and Camilla met co-owners of one of the UK's football teams, American actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.
Reynolds and McElhenney posed for a photo with the king and Camilla in Wrexham as the two arrived for a visit to learn more about the actors' project to rebuild the club.
Charles and Camilla released their first Christmas card as king and queen on December 11, 2022. The card featured a photo of Camilla smiling at Charles at the Braemar Games in Scotland.
The king and Camilla released the card on X, formerly known as Twitter, on December 11. It read, "Wishing you a very happy Christmas and New Year."
The picture was taken by royal photographer Samir Hussein on September 3, just five days before Queen Elizabeth died.
The king visited the Palace of Westminster to thank those involved with the Queen's lying in state on December 14, 2022.
Before her funeral at Westminster Abbey, Elizabeth's coffin lay in state at Westminster Hall for five days so the public could pay their respects to the monarch.
Three months after her casket's arrival at the Abbey, Charles visited the House of Parliament to thank those involved in his mother's lying in state.
He also unveiled a plaque commemorating the event.
The following day, Charles and Camilla stopped by a community kitchen in London.
Continuing their appearances at community-oriented events, Charles and Camilla visited London's Community Kitchen on December 15.
According to the royal family's website, they spoke to students and volunteers during their tour of the space.
Charles and the entire royal family appeared together the day volume two of Harry and Meghan's Netflix series premiered on December 15, 2022.
On December 15, the extended royal family attended the "Together at Christmas" Carol Service at Westminster Abbey.
Many royals arrived wearing outfits in the same color, contradicting statements Meghan made about royal protocol in Netflix's "Harry & Meghan."
On December 25, 2022, Charles stepped into his mother's shoes with his first filmed Christmas address to the Commonwealth, continuing a 90-year tradition for England's monarchs.
He gave his address from St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, where the Queen and Prince Philip are buried.
The king thanked members of the public during his speech, but he also spoke of grief, nodding to his parents again.
The king also led the royal family's annual walk to St. Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham for a Christmas Day service.
All senior members of the royal family attended the service, even Andrew.
Prince Louis made his debut at the event, walking with Prince George and Princess Charlotte for the first time.
On January 12, 2023, the king appeared in public just two days after Harry released "Spare," in which Harry opened up about his relationships with Charles and William.
Some of Harry's revelations about his relationship with his father in his memoir were shocking, as he wrote that he and William asked the king not to marry Camilla. Harry also wrote that Charles didn't want to pay for Meghan to become a senior royal.
The king did not comment on the book at his first appearance after it was released, which was a visit to the Aboyne and Mid Deeside Community Shed.
The king toured the Kellogg's factory in Manchester on January 20, 2023, to celebrate 100 years of the brand in the UK.
The king was photographed at the factory, which is the largest cereal factory in Europe, wearing a lab coat over his suit.
According to the royal family, Kellogg's has a special relationship with the royal family, as it holds a Royal Warrant and has delivered cereal to the palace for years.
King Charles and Camilla marked Holocaust Memorial Day at the palace on January 27, 2023.
Charles and Camilla lit a candle in honor of the Holocaust at the palace on January 27, 2023.
They were accompanied by Holocaust survivor Dr. Martin Stern and Amouna Adam, who survived the genocide in Darfur, during the candle-lighting ceremony.
On February 8, 2023, the monarch welcomed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the palace on his first visit to the UK since Russia invaded Ukraine.
Zelenskyy previously met President Joe Biden and addressed the US Congress in December 2022.
The king was met by more protesters when visiting the Church of Christ the Cornerstone for a reception on February 16, 2023.
King Charles waved and smiled at the crowd despite multiple people holding signs that said, "Not my king."
On February 20, 2023, King Charles visited a training center for Ukrainian military recruits in Wiltshire, England.
People reported that recruits trained at the center for 35 days.
King Charles and Camilla took their first state visit to Germany in March 2023.
King Charles and Camilla visited Germany for three days in March 2023.
To kick off the trip, they had a state dinner with President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his wife, Elke Büdenbender.
Both the king and the president gave speeches, according to the BBC.
Buckingham Palace released a new portrait of King Charles and Camilla on April 4, 2023, ahead of the coronation.
Buckingham Palace released the official invitation to the coronation just a month ahead of the historic event, as well as a royal portrait of Charles and Camilla. The invitation confirmed Charles' wife would be known as Queen Camilla, not queen consort, after the coronation.
For the portrait, Hugo Burnand captured the royals in the drawing room at Buckingham Palace.
King Charles III's coronation was held on May 6, 2023, at Westminster Abbey.
The king became the oldest British monarch to take the throne.
He was crowned by the Archbishop of Canterbury in a five-part ceremony in front of 2,200 guests wearing sustainable, 200-year-old robes.
After the coronation, King Charles appeared on the balcony of Buckingham Palace as monarch for the very first time.
Multiple members of the royal family appeared with King Charles and Queen Camilla, such as Prince William, Kate Middleton, and their children.
Prince Harry did not appear on the balcony with the royal family.
The royal family gathered at Buckingham Palace again for Trooping the Colour on June 17.
The senior members of the royal family, as well as William and Kate's children, were photographed together again for Trooping the Colour.
Charles met with President Joe Biden at Windsor Castle on July 10.
The pair met at Windsor Castle during a visit Biden took to the UK.
Biden broke royal protocol during the visit by touching Charles' arm, but the monarch returned the affection, as BI's Talia Lakrtiz and Mikhaila Friel previously reported.
The king gave a speech at the State Opening of Parliament on November 7.
As the UK parliament's website states, it is the monarch's duty to read a speech written by the government at the official State Opening of Parliament in the House of the Lords while wearing their royal regalia.
November 7 marked Charles' first opening since he ascended the throne. Camilla sat by his side during the ceremony.
To celebrate his birthday on November 14, the king attended the launch of The Coronation Food Project.
The king marked his 75th birthday — November 14 — by helping to launch The Coronation Food Project at the South Oxfordshire Food and Education Alliance.
The royal family's website said the project aims to "bridge the gap between food waste and food need across all four nations of the United Kingdom."
The king referenced global conflict in his Christmas address for 2023.
The king's Christmas address was filmed at Buckingham Palace and broadcast on Christmas Day.
In his second Christmas speech as monarch, the king encouraged people to think of others, particularly in times of global crisis.
"At a time of increasingly tragic conflict around the world, I pray that we can also do all in our power to protect each other," he said. "The words of Jesus seem more than ever relevant: 'Do to others as you would have them do to you.'"
The royal family also took their annual walk through Sandringham on Christmas Day 2023 — marking the most recent occasion the entire royal family gathered as a group.
The king and queen led the royals on their walk through Sandringham to St. Mary Magdalene Church.
Prince Andrew attended again, as did Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York.
The king was photographed leaving the London Clinic on January 29 after undergoing surgery for a benign prostate enlargement.
On January 17, Buckingham Palace announced the king was undergoing surgery for a benign prostate enlargement the following week. The same day, Kensington Palace shared Kate Middleton had undergone "a planned abdominal surgery" and would be recovering until after Easter.
On January 29, the king was photographed leaving the hospital after the surgery, and he thanked well-wishers for their messages of support on the royal family's Instagram.
On February 5, Buckingham Palace announced the king had been diagnosed with cancer.
Buckingham Palace released a statement revealing the king had been diagnosed with cancer after his prostate procedure.
"During The King's recent hospital procedure for benign prostate enlargement, a separate issue of concern was noted," the statement said. "Subsequent diagnostic tests have identified a form of cancer."
The statement went on to say that the king was beginning "a schedule of regular treatments" and that he would not be participating in public-facing duties while he was treated per the advice of his doctors, though he would still "continue to undertake State business and official paperwork as usual."
The statement did not specify what kind or stage of cancer the king had nor what type of treatment he would be receiving.
On February 11, the monarch was photographed going to church with Camilla just a few days after his diagnosis.
The king waved at well-wishers as he walked to church with the queen, giving the public their first glimpse at the monarch since the palace revealed he had cancer.
Though his public-facing duties are paused, the king has made a handful of public appearances since his diagnosis was announced, including with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at Buckingham Palace.
Charles also greeted well-wishers on Easter after a tumultuous March for the royals.
The king and Camilla attended an Easter service at Windsor Castle on March 31, speaking to members of the public outside St George's Chapel.
Charles and Camilla were joined by his siblings and their spouses, as well as Sarah Ferguson and Charles' nephew, James, Earl of Wessex.
But the Prince and Princess of Wales did not attend the service, which took place just over a week after Kate announced she was undergoing "preventative chemotherapy" for cancer that was discovered after her abdominal surgery in January.
The Princess of Wales became the subject of public scrutiny in March amid her extended absence from the public eye, particularly after Kensington Palace released a photo of her with her children that appeared to be altered.
The king did not comment on the conspiracy theories surrounding his daughter-in-law, though Buckingham Palace did release a statement on his behalf after her diagnosis was made public.
According to royal reporter Rebecca English, the king said he was "so proud of Catherine for her courage in speaking as she did."
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