King Charles set for public family reunion next week - but two key royals will be missing
King Charles is set to attend the annual Commonwealth Day Service next Monday alongside the Princeand Princess of Wales, Buckingham Palace has announced.
Last year, both His Majesty and Princess Kate missed the key event after being diagnosed with cancer. The palace announced that Charles had been diagnosed with a form of cancer back in February last year, while Kate went public with her diagnosis in a personal video message shared in March.
Charles, William and Kate will also be joined on Monday 10 March by other key royals including Queen Camilla, Princess Anne and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester. The event will take place in Westminster Abbey, London.
Two key royals will nonetheless be notably absent: The Dukeand Duchess of Edinburgh, with Duchess Sophie set to travel to New York. Monday also marks Prince Edward's 61st birthday.
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This year's Commonwealth Day theme is "Together We Thrive", which celebrates the "enduring spirit of the Commonwealth family".
Rooted in the principles of family, unity and peace, the theme highlights the importance of fostering strong and connected communities that support and empower their members, enabling meaningful progress.
The service will include special musical performances from an array of musicians including Masai Cultural Arts team and Britain's Got Talent 2015 semi-finalists, Braimah and Jeneba Kanneh-Mason.
Also performing are the first Master of The King's Music, Errollyn Wallen, and Samoan soprano, Aivale Cole, as well as Joan Armatrading CBE, who will perform an arrangement of Love and Affection.
Guests of honour will include Commonwealth Secretary General, Baroness Scotland, the Commonwealth Secretary-General Elect, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, High Commissioners, senior politicians and dignitaries from across the UK and the Commonwealth. Over 700 school children and Commonwealth Games Athletes including Sir Chris Hoy and Shanice Beckford-Norton will also be attending.
The monarch will later launch the Commonwealth Sport King's Baton Relay from Buckingham Palace's quadrangle. The Relay, officially the King's first, kicks off the countdown to the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.
Charles will also be introduced to the first four Baton bearers; Olympian Sir Chris Hoy, Scottish Paralympic and Commonwealth medal winning T53 wheelchair racer, Sammi Kinghorn MBE, Royal Commonwealth Society Volunteer Kieran Healy and Gabriella Wood, Olympic and Commonwealth Judoka from Trinidad and Tobago.
The 2026 Commonwealth Games will take place in Glasgow from 23 July to 2 August. They will feature a ten-sport programme and include athletes from seventy-four nations and territories.
