Palace issues new King Charles photo ahead of address to nation on Queen’s centenary

A new photo has been released by Buckingham Palace showing King Charles recording a video message to mark 100 years since the birth of his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II

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The King records a video message to mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of Queen Elizabeth II(Image: PA Wire)

A brand new photo of the King has been released showing him recording an address to the nation to mark 100 years since the birth of his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II.

The Mirror revealed earlier this month that Charles would be recording the special video message to celebrate the late Queen’s life and legacy and to renew his vow of service – and it will be released tomorrow. Sources close to the King have said he will use the heartfelt message to commit to upholding the values of duty, honesty and integrity that his mother held dear throughout her 70-year reign.

Charles has endured a difficult start to his reign after Queen Elizabeth II passed away on September 8, 2022, with personal health battles and dealing with his disgraced brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.

The King was forced to permanently exile Andrew from the royal fold last October, amid further lurid details concerning his closeness to the convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

Charles also continues to battle cancer after being diagnosed in February 2024, but recently celebrated the news that his treatment was to be downgraded from weekly appointments as he manages living with the disease.

However, the King remains ever popular, with six in ten Britons (60 per cent) having a positive opinion of his reign so far. Charles, 77, has maintained an incredible schedule of duties despite his illness, last year being unofficially crowned the ‘hardest working royal’ by totting up the most public engagements out of any member of the royal family.

Palace sources say the King is dedicated to “continuing full throttle” and wants the 100th birthday commemorations, of which he will lead through a series of public engagements and a special reception at Buckingham Palace, to be a “celebration of an incredible life and legacy, rather than a solemn occasion”.

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The King will today begin a string of engagements to commemorate his late mother (Image: AFP via Getty Images)

A royal insider said: “The start to the King’s reign has not been without its obvious troubles, but there has been much to celebrate as well.

“He has been immensely positive in the face of adversity, continuing his cancer treatment while maintaining an incredible work rate. He has travelled extensively across the country and abroad, meeting two Popes, celebrating 50 years of the King’s Trust (formerly the Prince’s Trust) and pressing on with historic visits abroad.

“His message will be one celebration of an incredible life well lived and also an opportunity for him to renew his vow of service to the nation and the Commonwealth, but also speak to the values that he stands by – where fairness and the well-being of others matter most.”

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Elizabeth II is the nation’s longest-serving monarch (Image: WireImage)

Elizabeth II became Britain’s longest serving monarch on September 9, 2015, surpassing the record of 63 years, seven months, and two days, of her great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria.

In 2022, the country celebrated the queen’s Platinum Jubilee, marking Elizabeth’s 70-year milestone on the throne. She passed away peacefully at her Balmoral home in Scotland just months later, at the age of 96.