King Charles III of Britain has expressed his gratitude to the public for their backing in his first year as the sovereign on the occasion of the first anniversary of the passing of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.
The 74-year-old king said in a brief statement that he remembered his mother’s “great affection”, her life and her service to the nation.
He also thanked the people for their “love and support” for him and his wife Camilla, as they tried their best to serve the country.
The king, who is staying at his large estate in the Scottish Highlands of Balmoral, will not attend any official events on Friday.
He and Camilla will go to Crathie Kirk, the church where his late mother used to pray, for some private prayers and reflection.
Queen Elizabeth II, who reigned for an unprecedented 70 years, died at Balmoral at the age of 96 after her health deteriorated.
She never publicly celebrated her accession day, as it was the day her father, King George VI died in 1952.
Last year, she spent the day quietly at her Sandringham estate in Norfolk, eastern England, when she started her Platinum Jubilee year on February 6.
