Royal family: Prince Charles speaks about The Queen’s recent health scares

Prince Charles has opened up about his mother’s health and how she is coping, as the monarch returns to work with a face to face meeting.

Prince Charles has spoken of The Queen’s health scares, telling reporters on a royal tour to Jordan she is not finding life as “easy as it used to be”.

The 95-year-old monarch has been forced to cancel four engagements in a month due to her health, with doctors telling her to rest.

The Prince of Wales, 73, opened up about his mother’s health after meeting business leaders at the Royal Scientific Society in Amman, Jordan, with his wife Camilla.

Asked how the Queen was getting on, Charles replied: “She’s all right thank you very much. Once you get to 95, it’s not quite as easy as it used to be. It’s bad enough at 73.”

The Queen gave Charles and Camilla her blessing to embark on the tour, and Charles spoke with her by phone after a back injury forced her to miss Remembrance Sunday.

Charles, who turned 73 this week, is filling in on more official engagements such as investitures, duties the Queen would usually have done.

Despite fears for her health, The Queen has returned to work with her frst face-to-face meeting. She met with General Sir Nick Carter - Britain’s Chief of the Defence Staff - at Windsor Castle on Wednesday afternoon local time.

Dressed in a green, orange and white floral dress and wearing a string of pearls, the monarch - who is head of the Armed Forces - smiled and shook hands with Gen Carter as they began chatting.

It is the Queen’s first in-person job since October 19, when she hosted a reception for guests attending the Global Investment Summit - including US billionaire Bill Gates.

The Queen greets Britain's Chief of the Defence Staff, General Sir Nick Carter, during an audience at Windsor Castle. Picture: AFP

Gen Carter - who is preparing to step down from his role as the armed forces chief at the end of the month - was seen standing alongside the Queen in the castle’s Oak Room.

The Queen said it was “rather sad” he was leaving and replied: “It’s a long time.”

Gen Carter discussed the Duke of Edinburgh’s late uncle, saying: “It is a long time. In fact, the only person who has done longer I’m told is Lord Mountbatten … so I am quite surprised by all that.”

The Queen chuckled and replied: “Oh really? Oh?”

“I suppose if you get into that job, you know, it is easier to continue, isn’t it really?” she added.

The Queen spent a night in hospital last month. Picture: AFP

“I think that’s right. Although I have to say I think the time comes when it’s ready to move on,” Gen Carter replied.

The Oak Room is the Queen’s sitting room where she spends much of her time, and which also doubles as her office.

Prior to meeting Gen Sir Nick, the Queen held another audience with the Commanding Officers of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards via video link, Buckingham Palace said.

The Queen sparked fresh health concerns by cancelling an appearance at the Cenotaph for the first time in 22 years last weekend.

She remains on “light duties” but royal watchers are worried as she has now cancelled four public engagements in a month.

The Queen with Joe Biden during an official engagement in June. Picture: Getty Images

In a poignant message this week, the Queen spoke about the “passage of time”. Her husband, Prince Philip, died in April. Picture: Samir Hussein/WireImage

HARRY, MEGHAN TO STAY IN US FOR CHRISTMAS

Meanwhile, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will not join the Queen for her first Christmas without Prince Philip, sources claim.

The Sussexes will instead spend the holidays at their $20 million California mansion with Archie, two, and five-month-old Lilibet to avoid a “media frenzy” upon their return to England, according to a report in The Sun.

This year will be the first Christmas since the death of the Queen’s “strength and stay” Prince Philip in April.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle with the Queen, Prince Philip, Prince Charles and Camilla on Christmas Day in 2017. Picture: AFP

Buckingham Palace did invite the Sussexes to join them for their traditional Christmas Day festivities in Sandringham, but they are set to decline, according to royal sources.

One insider said: “There’s a lot that goes into the logistics and the planning of the family Christmas, so of course, staff know that Harry and Meghan are not coming.

“If they were, they would have communicated it to their family by now.

“But this is Her Majesty’s first Christmas without her husband, so one would have hoped they would want to be with her.”

Harry and Meghan have not ventured to the UK together since they ditched Britain for a new life in the US last year.

The Sussexes pictured on Christmas Day in 2018. the couple will not return to the UK for the festive season this year. Picture: AFP

But now - following the birth of their daughter Lilibet in June - royal author Adam Helliker says the brood returning to Prince Harry’s home country is “imperative for family unity”.

While he doubted big events like Christmas or Lilibet’s Christening were ever on the cards, he said both sides are “striving for reconciliation” following the fallout from their bombshell Oprah interview.

The Sussexes alleged there were conversations with Prince Harry and a “family” member about their unborn son Archie and what colour his skin would be - and “what that would mean or look like”.

“They seem to have very fixed views about the privacy of family occasions,” he added.

“I think having the christening in the UK will be putting too much pressure on them.

“And I think Meghan will be putting her foot down and say no we don’t want an international circus.”

– with The Sun

Originally published as Royal family: Prince Charles speaks about The Queen’s recent health scares