Getty
Whether he was being caught in a rain storm, visiting a beach or giving an official after-dinner speech, King Charles looked as dapper as ever during his royal tour of the Caribbean – changing up his look, and his sunglasses, depending on the occasion.
And yet, just as the 77-year-old monarch’s visit was hailed as a diplomatic success, questions re-emerged about the state of his health.
It’s widely known that Charles continues to receive treatment for an undisclosed form of cancer, and royal expert Tom Sykes – the man behind The Royalist substack – revisited the topic after personally seeing the King during his October visit to Aberfan in Wales.
“In person, the King looks incredibly frail,” Sykes shared in a YouTube video after the event, although he was quick to acknowledge he had been told that Charles’ cancer treatment was going “really well” and “much better” than anyone could have hoped.
“I’m not sensationalising this. I’m not saying I think the King is about to drop down dead or anything like that. I have no reason to doubt my sources,” Sykes clarified, “But up close you can really, really see the toll that the treatment has taken on him.”
Sykes went on to describe Charles as looking “tiny”.
“He looks very small. He’s lost a great deal of weight. A lot of hair, a lot of flesh off his face, and he’s just covered in make-up. Absolutely covered in make-up, and when you’re up close you can see it,” the expert went on.
“It looks totally fine on camera, I think it’s the right thing to do, I hasten to add… It would be distracting if Charles was looking terribly grey or this or that… All the conversation would be about his health.”
But having seen the King with his own eyes, he described the situation as “absolutely shocking”.
“He just looks very, very, very old and very, very tired,” he said, adding that he was “impressed” by Charles’ continued dedication to duty.
Now, insiders have weighed in on the discussion, telling Woman’s Day that the King “always strives to look his best” during public engagements, and that was certainly the case during his recent Caribbean trip.
“His team was briefed in the customary manner, or at least that’s the unofficial word from his aides, who would be quick to stress that there was no need for any extra or excess use of makeup and declare those suggesting otherwise as mischief-makers and alarmists,” a source says.
“But the harsh reality here is that the King did appear to cut a more vulnerable figure during this tour.”
The source went on to suggest it was a situation that hadn’t gone unnoticed by royal watchers or much of the crowd.
“It hasn’t been an easy trip by any means, and the King went into it fully aware that he was compelled to address an extremely sensitive topic [the slave trade],” the source goes on.
“Pretty much everyone agrees he handled it well and that he also did a good job of socialising with his hosts.
“His Majesty also found time to enjoy himself at various moments when he wasn’t on duty, especially after Camilla showed up. But this was very much a business trip and there’s no doubt he’ll be pleased to head home.”
Much was made of the downpour the King experienced while visiting a cricket stadium in Antigua during the trip. Viral footage showed Charles gesturing desperately for an umbrella during the deluge, and looking a little displeased.
Knowing the moment had piqued the interest of viewers, Charles later referenced it with good humour during a dinner for Commonwealth leaders.
As he praised the Commonwealth for being “one of the few organisations able to unite countries famous for snow, countries famous for deserts, and, most of all, countries whose citizens are utterly convinced they enjoy perfect weather all year round” he made a deprecating quip that perhaps his role was “provide an umbrella for all of you”.
“At the end of the day Charles was very pleased that Camilla was able to join him. They did their best to share a joke here and there, enjoy the gracious company of their hosts and make the most of things,” the insider tells, while noting that the King and Queen had been “fairly stung” by recent UK popularity rating results in which he received the weakest result since taking the throne.
“But they’re very good at ignoring that type of noise, or at least putting it to one side and keeping a stiff upper lip at all costs,” the source adds.
With Charles now back on home soil, he is only likely to have a small window of rest before his next engagement – most likely the traditional Remembrance Sunday ceremony at The Cenotaph in London on November 8.
Queen Camilla, Prince William and his wife Kate, Princess of Wales, are also set to attend, as are Princess Anne and Prince Edward.
“The King takes his role as Sovereign as a life calling, quite literally, and models himself on his late mother in that regard,” an insider tells Woman’s Day.
“The view within the monarchy is that he will continue to serve the Crown as long as he is physically able and that royal duty comes above all else at all times.
“It’s not up for negotiation, this is the life he was born into and his utter privilege to lead.”
