London:
Britain's King Charles III marked the first anniversary of his coronation on Monday after a difficult year that included a cancer diagnosis and continued tensions with his estranged son Prince Harry.
To mark the occasion, gun salutes would be fired in central London and other locations across the UK.
However, no official events were planned and the milestone came less than a week after King Charles resumed public duties since his diagnosis.
He visited fellow cancer patients at a London hospital on Tuesday after doctors said they were “very encouraged” by his progress.
The 75-year-old monarch, who has not revealed what type of cancer he has, also reportedly wanted to celebrate the day with minimal “fuss” given the link between his accession and the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, who crowned King Charles at Westminster Abbey a year ago, praised his “sense of duty”.
'The past year has presented the king with some major personal challenges. “But I have been struck by his continued sense of duty, having recently returned to royal duties following treatment,” he said.
“His openness in sharing his condition has been indicative of his willingness to help and support others,” he added.
The anniversary comes as an Ipsos poll for the Daily Mail showed King Charles' personal popularity rose slightly to 56 percent.
His son and heir Prince William and his wife Catherine, Princess of Wales, were the most popular members of the royal family with 69 percent each, an increase of 8 to 10 percent since last April.
Double blow
Catherine, 42, also known as Kate, announced her own shock cancer diagnosis at the end of March after abdominal surgery that had already forced her to withdraw from public life.
The double whammy of the ill health of both King Charles and Catherine has left the royal family short of royals on the front line. William also steps away for a while to help care for his wife and family.
Queen Camilla, 76, stepped in to take over many of her husband's duties, while King Charles' sister, Princess Anne, and his youngest brother, Prince Edward, have also taken on more prominent roles.
But King Charles and Catherine's absence has been felt even more acutely now that the king's youngest son, Harry, is no longer a working royal.
Harry dramatically moved to North America in 2020 with his wife Meghan Markle.
Harry returns to Britain this week to attend a ceremony to mark the 10th anniversary of his Invictus Games for disabled military veterans.
The domestic PA agency reported that he was “likely to be reunited with (King) Charles” at some point during his visit.
Meanwhile, a demonstration organized by anti-monarchy group Republic on Sunday attracted around 100 people in Trafalgar Square.
Protesters chanted “abdicate, resign” and two large banners reading “abolish the monarchy” and “change (the) country forever” were hung in front of an art gallery.
Last year's coronation saw tens of thousands of people line the streets of London and street parties were held across the country.
Television footage of the historic ceremony in Westminster Abbey was broadcast around the world.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Our staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)