Prince William and Kate Middleton also shared their birthday wishes on social media, sharing an image of Charles on their Instagram Story and X account.
According to aides, the king is treating his birthday like any other day, but it is expected that there will be a small, low-key gathering attended by some family and close friends to mark the king’s birthday on Thursday evening.
“There will be more to the birthday than going to the Coronation Food Project, but it will be a private celebration,” reveals a source close to the king.
Last year, Charles spent his 75th in Didcot launching the Coronation Food Project. The nationwide initiative was King Charles’s idea and a year later, he attended a surplus food festival where he met representatives of food banks and learned about meals that are being produced from food that would otherwise go to waste.
One senior palace source tells Vanity Fair, “When you think back to the launch of the Coronation Food Project last year, its achievement is quite incredible. The king was determined that there should be a legacy project to the Coronation and he is very proud of this.”
While it has been a remarkable year for the initiative, it has also been a remarkable year for King Charles, despite a challenging year that included cancer diagnoses for both the king and his daughter-in-law, Princess Kate. Sources close to Charles tell VF that he is “happier than he has ever been” and is grateful to be able to carry out his work.
“What’s happened since the King’s last birthday is incredible. No one had any idea of the challenges that would lie ahead on a personal and a family level. It’s been a year of highs and lows,” notes a royal source.
While Princess Kate has completed her course of chemotherapy, King Charles is continuing with his weekly treatment which he is “tolerating well,” according to well-placed sources. It has not stopped the monarch from maintaining his busy schedule, which includes a recent tour of Australia and Samoa.
“As we come to the end of what has been a terribly hard year there’s a feeling that 2024 will end on a high,” adds the palace source. “That the king was able to visit Australia and CHOGM in Samoa showed just how well he is doing. He was at the Cenotaph last weekend, which was incredibly important, it’s what the royal family do best – leading the nation in moments of national importance.”
