Prince Charles: New photo of royal in his garden at Highgrove released to mark his birthday
The future monarch is pictured in the grounds of his Gloucestershire estate on the eve of his attending the annual commemoration of Britain's war dead at the Remembrance Day Service at the Cenotaph, at which he will take the place of the Queen by laying a wreath.
Sunday 14 November 2021 06:27, UK
A new photograph of Prince Charles sitting on a bench at Highgrove has been released to mark his 73rd birthday.
The future monarch is pictured smiling at the camera, surrounded by the gardens of his home in Gloucestershire.
He wears a blue pinstripe suit and light blue tie, and has a spotted pink square in his pocket and a magenta flower adorning his lapel.
Clarence House says the photo was taken in the summer by Hugo Burnand, who has taken the Prince's birthday pictures in the past and also photographed the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's wedding.
On his special day, the Prince of Wales will attend the annual Remembrance Day Service at the Cenotaph.
As the Queen watches the ceremony from the balcony of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office building, Charles will lay a wreath on the top step of the Cenotaph on her behalf.
The first year in which the Prince placed a wreath in place of his mother was in 2017, with the move seen as a sign his role relating to the head-of-state had changed.
Buckingham Palace announced on Thursday the Queen would be present at the annual wreath-laying service in Whitehall, after several weeks of being told to rest.
The 95-year-old monarch missed several other events on the advice of royal doctors, having spent a night in hospital on 20 October, where she underwent preliminary tests.
On Thursday, Charles spoke about the Queen's health as he met people in Brixton, south London.
When one man asked him: "Prince Charles. How is your mother?" Charles appeared to say: "She's all right, thank you."
The royal was given an early birthday cake at Windsor Castle on Wednesday when he met representatives of organisations recognised by the Queen's Awards for Enterprise.
One of those who attended the reception, owner of Reach and Rescue Jo Taylor, said after giving him the cake and a birthday card: "The prince laughed and said, 'You've been doing your research on me', and he slipped the card into his left pocket."
Charles recently attended the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, where he told world leaders they needed to be on "a war-like footing" and launch a "vast military-style campaign" to mobilise the business world if they are to tackle the climate crisis.
It came in a week when Charles' former valet, Michael Fawcett, resigned as chief executive of one of the Prince of Wales' charities amid an alleged cash-for-honours scandal.
It also came amid revelations in text messages that Charles's son, Prince Harry, faced "constant berating" from members of the Royal Family over the strained relationship his wife Meghan had with her father.