King Charles showed his sense of humour during his final royal engagement before Christmas, quipping “I’m still alive” when asked how he was doing.
The 76-year-old monarch made the light-hearted remark whilst attending a reception at Waltham Forest Town Hall in east London on December 20.
The King was responding to Harvinder Rattan, a Sikh faith representative, who had inquired about his well-being during the event.
The engagement, which he attended alongside Queen Camilla, marked their last public appearance before the Royal Family’s Christmas celebrations.
King Charles showed his sense of humour during his final royal engagement before Christmas
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The reception celebrated community cohesion in the borough, with the royal couple meeting local volunteers, young people, emergency service personnel and faith representatives.
The engagement came just one day after the King and Queen hosted their traditional pre-Christmas lunch for the extended royal family at Buckingham Palace on December 19.
Palace sources have confirmed that King Charles’s cancer treatment will continue into next year, though it is moving “in a very positive direction”.
The palace now describes the King’s condition as “managed”, with sources stating on December 20: “His treatment has been moving in a positive direction and as a managed condition the treatment cycle will continue into next year.”
The engagement came just one day after the King and Queen hosted their traditional pre-Christmas lunch for the extended royal family at Buckingham Palace on December 19
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Despite ongoing treatment, the King has maintained a full calendar of engagements, with future trips around the UK and abroad being planned.
The Prince and Princess of Wales were not present at the palace’s pre-Christmas lunch, though sources confirmed they were never expected to attend.
The couple are already in Norfolk with their children Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6, where they have a country home.
The Wales family will join King Charles and the rest of the Royal Family at Sandringham for Christmas as usual, where they look forward to catching up with relatives.
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Palace sources have confirmed that King Charles’s cancer treatment will continue into next year
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The reception celebrated Waltham Forest’s response to unrest that affected the UK over the summer.
The borough organised a peaceful anti-racism protest in August following tragic events in Southport, where three children were killed in a knife attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class.
The Royal Family had shown support for the Southport community, with King Charles, Queen Camilla, and the Prince and Princess of Wales issuing statements and later visiting the area.
Princess Kate also invited survivors and affected families to her Christmas carol service at Westminster Abbey.