The King’s milestone 75th year was marked with a 41-gun royal salute in Green Park, a 62-gun salute at the Tower of London and a 21-gun salute in Edinburgh today – as the monarch and Queen Camilla visited an Oxfordshire food waste project during an almighty downpour.
In what will be a working birthday for the king, Charles looked to be wearing his 75 years lightly as he arrived in Didcot around lunchtime with Queen Camilla to help launch the Coronation Food Project at a food waste distribution centre.
The monarch wore a warm-looking camel coat and a smart royal blue tie with a slate grey suit for the official visit, taking time to wave to those who’d gathered – many wearing disposable raincoats – to offer well wishes on his birthday.
Queen Camilla, 76, opted for a stylish emerald green skirt suit with black knee-high boots and black leather gloves, and antique pearl drop earrings for the public outing – with both royals needing umbrellas to brave the inclement Oxfordshire weather.
Meanwhile 70 miles away in London, members of The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery carried out the ceremonial tradition of a 41 gun salute for the king, lighting up a murky day in Green Park.
The Honourable Artillery Company fired an additional 62-gun salute at Tower Wharf, Tower of London – an extra 21 for the City of London – at 1pm.
Meanwhile north of the border in Edinburgh Castle, the Band of Royal Regiment of Scotland played their instruments, ahead of 16 Regiment Royal Artillery firing a 21-gun salute.
Later today, Charles will also host a Buckingham Palace reception highlighting the work of nurses and midwives over the decades as part of the NHS 75 celebrations.
Among the guests will be around 400 nurses and midwives alongside the Chief Nursing Officer of England, Dame Ruth May, and Amanda Pritchard, chief executive of NHS England.
This morning, the Royal Family‘s social media accounts paid tribute to King Charles on his 75th birthday, posting a photobook-style montage of images showing the monarch from his very first public appearance as a baby to more recent times – and lots of key moments in between.
The 39-second clip was posted on X this morning by the @RoyalFamily account and rolls back the decades for the monarch as he celebrates a milestone birthday – showing some of the most important moments of his life and more intimate photos spent with family members through the years.
The post shared two emojis, one of a crown and the other of a cake, alongside the words ‘Wishing His Majesty The King a Happy 75th Birthday.’
There are images of the late Queen – including one from 1948 when she was pictured for the first time in public with her firstborn. Charles is seen fast asleep wearing a royal christening gown in his mother’s arms.
Princes William and Harry also appear – although not together – with happy scenes from their childhood flashing past, including the moment the then Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana introduced their second son to the world at St. Mary’s Hospital in London in September 1984.
There’s also a November 1997 image of the then Prince Charles with a young Prince Harry as father and son are seen smiling together as they recorded their handprints in concrete while on an official visit to South Africa.
Elsewhere, a 1998 snap of Charles with Princes William on the slopes in the Swiss ski resort of Klosters, a long-time faovourite of the royals, also appears.
The photobook-style montage opens with a blue-and-white front cover featuring a floral scene with bee imagery and the words ‘Happy Birthday Your Majesty’.
Stirring classical music provides the soundtrack as the montage races through the decades.
