Easter outing shows King Charles ‘going in the right direction’
King Charles has marked Easter with his first public appearance since being diagnosed with cancer, shaking hands with well-wishers in a surprise move.
King Charles has been seen by the public for the first time since his cancer diagnosis, appearing at the Easter Sunday service at St George’s Chapel in Windsor.
The King, impeccably turned out in a sharp dark suit, arrived for the service with Queen Camilla, and he turned to smile and wave to the crowds who were cheering loudly outside the Windsor Castle gates.
Eyewitnesses were heartened to see Charles looking well and walking without any apparent discomfort.
The short appearance was a welcome sign that the King was dealing with his cancer treatment.
And in a major surprise, and perhaps testing doctor’s advice, the King emerged from the hour long chapel service in an impromptu move to greet the crowds, and he shook hands with thrilled well-wishers.
It had been expected the King would not have any public interaction because of the high risk of infection while his immune levels are compromised, but Charles looked to be invigorated during the short walkabout.
He walked along the line of roped off crowds, receiving get well messages and shaking hands with scores of people who wished him Happy Easter and good health.
While other royal family members attended the service, notable absentees were the Prince and Princess of Wales and their three children.
Princess Catherine is currently undergoing preventative chemotherapy with cancer being detected after abdominal surgery, and the family is spending the school holidays at their country estate in Norfolk.
The Princess Royal, Anne, with her husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence arrived at Windsor for the service, followed by the Yorks, Prince Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson. The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, Prince Edward and his wife Sophie and their son, James, the Earl of Wessex also attended in a slimmed down guest list to help limit any chances of Charles picking up an infection.
The King’s appearance was welcome, if brief, and was his first sighting in public since his cancer diagnosis was discovered during prostate surgery in January.
Over the past few weeks the King has been conducting some work inside Buckingham Palace and his London home at Clarence House, such as the daily red box scrutiny of government business, but many of his public engagements have been undertaken by Camilla and Anne.
Charles will continue to make occasional public appearances to reassure the nation, but he will not return to public duties in the short term.
Meanwhile, Anthony Albanese has used his traditional Easter address to remind us of “the importance of forgiveness, grace and kindness”, and to thank public holiday workers.
In a video posted to his social media accounts on Sunday morning, the Prime Minister also urged drivers to stay safe on the roads when visiting family and friends.
“Easter is a time of hope and renewal for Christians here and across the world – it’s a moment to reflect on the resurrection,” Mr Albanese said.
“Celebrations and services across the country remind us of the importance of forgiveness, grace and kindness to those in need – qualities that are so much a part of the compassion and virtue of this, the greatest country on earth.”
Thousands flocked through the gates of Sydney’s Royal Easter Show at the weekend, allaying organisers’ fears that cost-of-living pressures would keep people at home.
“Into the lead-up of the show we had our concerns, to be frank, with the economic environment … but as it turned out we had nothing to worry about at all,” Royal Agricultural Society NSW chief executive Brock Gilmour told Sky News.
“Hopefully we will exceed 800,000 for the full show, so we couldn’t be happier,” he said.
Religious leaders across the country used their sermons on Sunday to stress the importance of forgiveness and peace, as Pope Francis took part in an Easter Vigil service at the Vatican after the last-minute cancellation of his presence at a major Good Friday procession revived questions about his health.
The 87-year-old pontiff took part in the service in front of some 6000 people from around the world. The Vatican had confirmed earlier in the day that he would attend. After the rite of light in a basilica plunged into darkness to symbolise the passage from death to life of Christ, Francis delivered a 10-minute homily in Italian without any undue difficulty.
He spoke out against “the walls of selfishness and indifference” in the world and lamented “all the aspirations for peace shattered by the cruelty of hatred and the ferocity of war”.
At a service at St Patrick’s Cathedral in Melbourne, Catholic Archbishop Peter Comensoli said the Easter story highlighted the importance of renewal.
“Where there are wounds of violence and personal hurts, to there comes a resurrection of goodness and hope,” he said.
“Where war and conflict scar peoples and communities there belongs the resurrection of reconciliation and peace. Where an overwhelmed created environment is dying, there is where the resurrection of recovery and regeneration is needed.”
Sydney Anglican Archbishop Kanishka Raffel called for peace in the Middle East. “In 2022, Palestinian Christians in Gaza were numbered at less than 1500 and 50,000 in the West Bank and Jerusalem,” he told a congregation at St Andrews Cathedral in Sydney.
“Those in the West Bank have not been able to enter Jerusalem this Easter where their countrymen walked the way of the cross on Friday. We cry out to God for the peace of Jerusalem for the release of hostages held by terrorists, we weep with Israelis and with Palestinians who grieve the loss of family members and the destruction of their homes and communities through war.”
Catholic Archbishop of Sydney Anthony Fisher spoke of his trip to Jerusalem last year, where he visited the Stone of Anointing, where Jesus’ body was said to have been prepared for burial.
“A year later and the Holy Land is effectively closed to pilgrims,” he said.
Additional reporting: AFP
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