King Charles is celebrating one year since his coronation (Image: Getty)
No one in history waited longer to ascend the throne than King Charlesand it couldn't have been easy to follow someone who was so loved and respected all over the world.
And just as he was finding his feet and showing his priorities as king, Charles got the news no one ever wants to hear: you have cancer.
His shock diagnosis at the start of the year attempted to derail his government and the causes he had set out to champion: the environment, food waste and the importance of communities.
But the hard-working royal, known for his workaholic nature and his love of meeting the public, is determined to get back to work and fight what he once called this “beastly disease.”
This has become even more important to him after his beloved daughter-in-law's diagnosis was made shortly after his.
Now Charles has focused on raising cancer awareness and showing his support for fellow sufferers.
On Tuesday, the king marked his return to public duties by visiting a cancer hospital, where he repeatedly emphasized the importance of early detection. He sat down with patients and listened to their own experiences with cancer, in a moving show of support for the Princess of Wales.
Charles chose to mark his first engagement since his own diagnosis in this way to show the nation that he is determined to 'do his bit' and raise awareness about the disease.
For decades, the king has taken a specific interest in cancer treatment and now plans to use his campaigning spirit to highlight the fight to find a cure.
His courageous decision to make his diagnosis public has already had a phenomenal impact.
Searches for NHS advice on the disease rose by 51 per cent in the 24 hours after the cancer announcement in February, while Macmillan also saw a 42 per cent increase in hits to its website.
King Charles spoke to cancer patients during a hospital visit last week (Image: Getty)
The charity has also seen a 75 per cent increase in volunteer applications to the charity compared to the same period in 2023.
Veteran royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams said the so-called King Charles effect shows the soft power a monarch can have.
“He has clearly chosen to raise awareness about health issues,” he said. “We saw that with his prostate condition and also with cancer. This is an excellent example of how the monarchy can use its unique profile for charitable purposes.”
It is expected that the king will make more commitment this year to show his support for cancer patients and to continue to draw attention to the disease.
But the other issues that have dominated Charles' reign will continue to figure prominently in his upcoming visits and speeches he makes.
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His coronation highlighted two emerging priorities for the King, as he wanted to use the occasion of his coronation to focus on volunteering and food poverty by launching the Big Help Out and Coronation Food Project.
The first urged Britons to volunteer and support communities, while the second focused on tackling food waste and insecurity.
His determination to pursue these matters became increasingly apparent in the following months.
On his 75th birthday in November, Charles marked the occasion by expanding the Coronation Food Project. Instead of toasting the milestone at home, the King and Queen headed to a food distribution center in Oxfordshire to boost the initiative, which aims to support charities feeding the country with unwanted food.
He also wrote a piece for The Big Issue about the project, sharing his concerns about “cost of living pressure” that exists at a time when tons of food is wasted. The king wrote of his desire to create a “lasting legacy to help others” – a strong indication that the monarch is determined to make food waste a key tenant of his government.
His determination to bridge the gap between food waste and food needs across Britain marks a continuation of his previous royal initiatives, which saw him donate fridges and freezers to charities and help educate young people about food supply and production.
Charles is also keen to encourage people to help others in times of need.
Just three days after being released from hospital in January after undergoing treatment for an enlarged prostate, the King issued a statement calling on the public to lend a hand during his second Big Help Out this summer.
He urged the British to volunteer and build “kinder, closer communities,” which was a further indication of his priorities as king.
A third, more predictable priority for the king is the environment.
As Prince of Wales, Charles quickly became one of the leading voices of his generation on climate change and environmental issues. He has been at the forefront of this field for decades and it is clear that the environment remains his top concern.
While he maintains a respectable boundary now that he is monarch, Charles continues to speak out about climate change.
In December he traveled to Dubai to speak at COP28, where he warned that the world is “terribly far away” from achieving a sustainable climate future.
He also tries to draw attention to sustainability in a subtle way. During last year's Christmas message, the tree it stood in front of was decorated with sustainable ornaments such as dried oranges and pine cones, and at the end of the festivities the tree was replanted.
But despite maintaining his interest in the environment, he has avoided crossing the line in political matters – something he was often accused of as an heir.
Mr Fitzwilliams said: “He is a humanitarian monarch and has struck the right balance by prioritizing his constitutional role as he must, but making his mind clear in areas such as the environment.”
As we commemorate one year since the king's spectacular coronation at Westminster Abbey on May 6, it is clear that Charles' priorities and objectives for his reign have changed since his cancer diagnosis.
But that won't slow him down; the random illness has fueled his focus and renewed his determination to use his position for good.
A priority that may have become more urgent is repairing his relationship with his youngest son and his family, who immigrated to the US four years ago.
Although he has maintained a dignified silence in the face of increasing provocation from the Sussex camp, it appears a recent royal reunion provided “reason for optimism”.
Prince Harry rushed to Britain hours after the king's cancer diagnosis was made public, and the pair met for a brief chat at Clarence House.
The pair are expected to meet again next week when the Duke returns to London for an Invictus Games event.
While the king is keen to make the environment, volunteerism and food waste his legacy, he also hopes the ongoing royal feud will not overshadow his reign.