King Charles turned 76 yesterday. He spent several hours at an event at a foodbank, in which the slumlord king graciously donated new refrigerators and we weren’t supposed to remember that the man bills the NHS £11 million to rent a warehouse for ambulances. Some outlets made Charles’s birthday all about Prince Harry, because of course. GB News declared that Harry “has fumbled a public olive branch he received from members of the Royal Family” because he “opted not to send a public birthday message to King Charles on Thursday.” Why would Harry PUBLICLY wish his father a happy birthday when Harry could just call his father and speak to him? Oh, wait, Charles refuses to take his son’s calls. Oh well. Good luck with Peggington then! I don’t think William even saw his father on his birthday. It also sounds like Charles planned a small party for himself last night and didn’t invite his sons. Sounds about right. From Katie Nicholl’s latest in Vanity Fair:

Birthday plans: According to aides, the king is treating his birthday like any other day, but it is expected that there will be a small, low-key gathering attended by some family and close friends to mark the king’s birthday on Thursday evening. “There will be more to the birthday than going to the Coronation Food Project, but it will be a private celebration,” reveals a source close to the king.

Happier than he’s ever been?? Sources close to Charles tell VF that he is “happier than he has ever been” and is grateful to be able to carry out his work. “What’s happened since the King’s last birthday is incredible. No one had any idea of the challenges that would lie ahead on a personal and a family level. It’s been a year of highs and lows,” notes a royal source.

Ending 2024 on a high: King Charles is continuing with his weekly treatment which he is “tolerating well,” according to well-placed sources. It has not stopped the monarch from maintaining his busy schedule, which includes a recent tour of Australia and Samoa. “As we come to the end of what has been a terribly hard year there’s a feeling that 2024 will end on a high,” adds the palace source. “That the king was able to visit Australia and CHOGM in Samoa showed just how well he is doing. He was at the Cenotaph last weekend, which was incredibly important, it’s what the royal family do best – leading the nation in moments of national importance.”

More on his treatment: “As he celebrates his birthday, I think the king is getting on with life and feeling deep gratitude for all that he is able to do,” says a source close to the monarch. “He had treatment this week – he’s on a weekly cycle and the symptoms and side effects are manageable. He’s determined to be seen going about his business and doing what he loves doing.”

Human contact: “I think the past year has shown the king to be very human,” adds the source. “The late queen was a quasi-deity in some ways. The king is very human, he has human strengths, frailties and engages in human contact. Nothing could be more reductively human than a critical illness that affects so many and I think most people think he has conducted himself with dignity and courage. People think he’s done well with climate change, youth opportunity and is making a difference and actually see that he’s a good king doing good things, and it would be sad if he wasn’t here. He recognizes that there’s a limit to what he can do, but I do think he’s happier this year than last year. There’s a levity about him and a sense of joy. You see him hugging people and laughing. He’s happy to be here doing what he loves and I think people are paying more attention to him and what he’s doing than ever before.”

[From Vanity Fair]

“People think he’s done well with climate change, youth opportunity and is making a difference and actually see that he’s a good king doing good things, and it would be sad if he wasn’t here.” I find it sad that Buckingham Palace’s communications team serves King Charles so poorly, that they lay it on so thick. He’s so human, he’s frail like the peasants, he’s managing without complaint, and you will miss him when he’s gone!! Aiming for sympathy, maybe even pity? Anyway, I do hope that Charles holds on. There’s definitely a growing sense of panic over William’s inability to take over.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.