Queen Camilla and Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester, during an event to present the Queen’s Anniversary Prizes for Higher and Further Education, at Buckingham Palace on February 22, 2024 in London.Photo:Aaron Chown-WPA Pool/Getty
Aaron Chown-WPA Pool/Getty
On Thursday, the Queen, 76, stepped out at a Buckingham Palace event withBirgitte, the Duchess of Gloucester— the wife of the late Queen Elizabeth’s cousin,Prince Richard, the Duke of Gloucester.
The Duke of Gloucester, 79, is first cousins withQueen Elizabeth, making King Charles his first cousin once removed. Though he and Birgitte are lesser known on royal radars, they are both full-time working royals who reside at Kensington Palace and support the crown through various patronages, military affiliations and official engagements.
While Prince Richard was not photographed alongside his wife or the Queen during the ceremony, theCourt Circularsaid he was present and helped host the reception afterward.
Queen Camilla presents the Queen’s Anniversary Prize to representatives from the University of the Arts London, during an event to present the Queen’s Anniversary Prizes for Higher and Further Education, at Buckingham Palace on February 22, 2024.Aaron Chown-WPA Pool/Getty
“What would we do without you?” theDaily Mailreported that Queen Camilla said as she thanked representatives from the Institute of Cancer Research for their pioneering research on breast cancer.
Queen Camilla presents the Queen’s Anniversary Prize to representatives from the Institute of Cancer Research, London, during an event to present the Queen’s Anniversary Prizes for Higher and Further Education, at Buckingham Palace on February 22, 2024.Aaron Chown-WPA Pool/Getty
The Gloucesters had prominent spots at the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth in September 2022, the coronation ofKing Charlesin May 2023 and the firstTrooping the Colourof the new reign last summer. More recently, they attended church with King Charles and Queen Camilla at St. Mary Magdalene at Sandringham on New Year’s Eve.
Because King Charles has paused public engagements andKate Middletoncontinues her recovery fromabdominal surgery, it’s up to the other full-time working members of the royal family to carry the workload.
Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester and Britain’s Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester arrive for the “Together At Christmas” Carol Service" at Westminster Abbey in London on December 8, 2023.CHRIS JACKSON/POOL/AFP via Getty
CHRIS JACKSON/POOL/AFP via Getty
“It is hard with Kate being ill as well, but he will step up,” a source close to the royal householdtells PEOPLEaboutPrince William. Another source said that the Prince of Wales, 41, is inregular contactwith his father the King during this time.
On Wednesday afternoon, King Charles had hisfirst in-person audiencewith U.K. Prime MinisterRishi Sunaksince the monarch revealed that he had been diagnosed with cancer. Despite the diagnosis, which was detected when he wasbeing treated for a benign enlarged prostate, the sovereign has been continuing with his affairs of state — but largely behind the scenes.
The Duchess of Gloucester accompanied Camilla to present the Queen’s Anniversary Prizes for Higher and Further Education for 2022-2024 at Buckingham Palace as King Charles, 75, continues to postpone public-facing duties while beingtreated for cancer.
Two weeks ago, the King and Sunak exchanged a phone call, which was more of a catch-up than the formal audience that the monarch and prime minister traditionally hold weekly. On Wednesday, that changed with the release of photographs and video footage of the two men meeting.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and King Charles meet at Buckingham Palace on February 21, 2024.JONATHAN BRADY/POOL/AFP via Getty
JONATHAN BRADY/POOL/AFP via Getty
Sunak said it was “wonderful” to see King Charles looking so well, to which the monarch quipped, “It’s all done with mirrors.”
The prime minister then said, “Well, we’re all behind you. The country’s behind you.”
“Obviously, like everyone else, shocked and sad, and just all our thoughts are with him and his family. Thankfully, this has been caught early,” the prime minister told BBC Radio Five Live on Feb. 6, adding that he hopes the King “gets the treatment that he needs and makes a full recovery.”
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The King told Sunak on Wednesday, “I’ve had so many wonderful messages and cards. It’s reduced me to tears most of the time.”
It was Sunak who said soon after King Charles' diagnosis that thecancer had been “caught early.“On Feb. 5, Buckingham Palace announced that the monarch was diagnosed with “a form of cancer” detected during theJanuary procedurefor benign prostate enlargement and had commenced treatment. A spokesman confirmed it is not prostate cancer.
source: people.com
