Why King Charles stepped back from public duties this week

King Charles’s unusually quiet schedule has now been explained, after the monarch unexpectedly stepped back from public engagements over the past week.

The King and Queen spent most of the week at Sandringham, taking what aides describe as much-needed downtime after an intense period of royal duties and ongoing family turbulence.

Despite his reduced visibility, Charles continued keeping on top of his constitutional workload from the estate.

Meanwhile, Queen Camilla, in her role as Colonel-in-Chief of The Rifles, represented the Firm on Thursday, attending the Biennial RIFLES awards dinner at the Guildhall.

For the 77-year-old monarch, who is still undergoing regular cancer treatment, the brief respite from public events reportedly offered a vital chance to recover and prepare for the significant engagements ahead.

His schedule, particularly since summer, has been unusually packed, including a high-profile visit to the Vatican and hosting US President Donald Trump.

But the calm will be short-lived. On Wednesday, King Charles and Queen Camilla will officially welcome German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier to Windsor Castle for the third incoming state visit of the year.

Staff have already finished the hall’s Christmas transformation, featuring a towering 20-foot Nordmann fir decorated with more than 3,000 lights and shimmering green and gold ornaments.

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