King’s wave for wellwishers ahead of second part of his cancer treatment
‘We created gold dust on the field and will use it to change behaviour towards disabled people’
KING Charles waved to wellwishers as he arrived back in London yesterday morning for his second bout of cancer treatment.
The monarch, 75, landed at Buckingham Palace in the royal helicopter after spending a week convalescing on his Sandringham estate following his shock diagnosis.
As rain fell the King and Queen were pictured being driven the short journey to Clarence House.
Charles waved to those gathered outside the palace and along the Mall, days after he cheerily smiled and acknowledged royal fans as he attended church in Norfolk on Sunday morning.
The King is being treated as an outpatient at an undisclosed hospital and is expected to remain in London for several days.
While he has postponed all public-facing duties, he is expected to hold face-to-face meetings while in the capital.
Since his cancer diagnosis was revealed last Monday, Charles has continued with his stately duties such as reading his daily Government red boxes and holding his weekly audience with the Prime Minister over the phone.
But sources insist he is well enough to hold a limited number of meetings as he is keen to get stuck into work. It is not clear when he will resume his royal engagements, with several staple events such as the annual Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey fast approaching.
If medics decide attending the large-scale event on March 11 is out of the question, he is still expected to attend church on Easter Sunday, March 31.
On Saturday the monarch sent his thanks for the messages of support and said he was “heartened” to hear his experience is inspiring others to get themselves checked.
PrinceWilliam may step in to represent his father at events and it has been reported he and his family are spending half-term at their Norfolk home Anmer Hall, which is on the King’s Sandringham estate.
And Charles’ sister Anne has also been helping out by doing investiture ceremonies.
Among those formerly given their awards at Windsor Castle by the Princess Royal yesterday was British Paralympic Association chief executive David Clarke who was made an OBE for his services to paralympic sport.
David, who represented Great Britain’s blind football team at the 2012 London Paralympics, said he had a “really good chat” with Anne about the impact of the 2012 Paralympics and the upcoming games in Paris.
He said: “The Princess Royal is well known to be an incredible supporter of Olympic and Paralympic sport and she knows very well what it’s like through
herself and her daughter to appreciate being in that incredible environment of an Olympics or Paralympics.”
He said he hoped this summer’s Paralympics would help inspire another generation to have a “positive attitude towards disability and how it manifests itself in everyday life.
“We create this incredible gold dust on the field of play and we intend to use it as
currency to help us change attitudes and behaviours off the field of play towards disabled people.”
Also given knighthoods were top Conservatives Sir Brandon Lewis and Michael Ellis.
Meanwhile, the Queen is continuing with royal engagements.
Yesterday she became an Honorary Liveryman of the Worship Company of Fan Makers in a ceremony at Clarence House. It saw Camilla, who became patron of The Fan Museum in 2008, clothed by The Master Fan Maker.
And the Queen was presented with a fan designed by Stewart Parvin, who created dresses for Queen Elizabeth II. It was commissioned to mark the impact that the pandemic had on lives. She told the Liverymen: “I’m very proud to be part of the family.”