He Would If He Behaved Himself”: King Charles Receives Standing Ovation Amid Health Update
King Charles made a public appearance on Thursday night, stepping out to resume his royal duties amidst ongoing cancer treatment. The 75-year-old monarch graced the stage at the Royal Opera House, attending a special gala performance to honor Sir Antonio Pappano, the longtime music director of the opera house who is stepping down.
The event came just hours after Queen Camilla provided an encouraging update on King Charles’s health. While attending a garden party in East Sussex, she told attendees that Charles is “getting better.” Captured by Roya Nikkhah, Royal Editor of The Sunday Times, Camilla humorously added, “Well, he would if he behaved himself.”
Despite her light-hearted comment, Queen Camilla has been concerned about the King’s workload. According to The Daily Beast, she has urged him to “slow down,” fearing that the extra duties might hinder his recovery. “She has been trying to encourage him to slow down,” said a friend of the queen. “Of course, he wants to keep cracking on, but she is afraid that doing too much could set him back.”
Nevertheless, King Charles appeared in good spirits during the gala. He received a standing ovation from the audience as he paid tribute to Pappano’s 22-year tenure as the music director of the Royal Opera House. Pappano had most recently conducted the Coronation Orchestra at the crowning of Charles and Camilla in May 2023. The audience’s applause filled the hall as the King praised Pappano, and later, he met with performers backstage.
According to The Sun, Charles engaged warmly with the performers. He asked one, “And you’re keeping alright?” When the performer replied affirmatively and reciprocated the question, Charles responded, “I’m not too bad,” before sharing a light-hearted moment. Pappano, reflecting on the evening, said, “He was just so generous in his praise, and genuinely so, and that means everything, he loves music.” He added, “He knighted me, and I’ve done several events at Buckingham Palace over the years where he’s been the engine for those things, and of course, I conducted at the coronation, so we’ve done quite a few events.”
Last month, Buckingham Palace announced that King Charles would return to some public duties following a three-month break for cancer treatment. At that time, the palace reported that doctors were “very encouraged” by the king’s progress. King Charles has since disclosed that he has lost his sense of taste due to his condition. Diagnosed with an undisclosed type of cancer, which was publicly revealed by the Palace on February 5, King Charles has been balancing his health challenges with his royal responsibilities.
Earlier on Thursday, the King held audiences with incoming ambassadors Ravshan Usmanov from the Republic of Uzbekistan and Léopold Tonguenoma Bonkoungou from Burkina Faso, marking his gradual return to his royal engagements.