King Charles praised for staying strong through difficult start to reign

King Charles won praise for staying strong through a difficult start to his reign, with an expert saying the monarch has faced more challenges in three years than many would expect in a lifetime.

Speaking with The Mirror, royal expert Jennie Bond noted that since becoming King, Charles has dealt with his own cancer diagnosis, Kate Middleton’s health battle, ongoing tensions with Prince Harry, and the controversy surrounding ex-Prince Andrew.

Despite the family drama and political pressures, Bond said Charles has continued to focus on the future and has handled the situation with determination.

She said, “Your mother dies, you get cancer, your daughter-in -law is also diagnosed with cancer, your son is estranged, your brother disgraced and arrested, you have three Prime Ministers in as many years, Donald Trump is re-elected as President, and then talks about annexing Canada before starting a Middle East war.

“It’s certainly not the ideal scenario for a new King, and it’s a lot for anyone to handle,” Bond shared, adding, “but King Charles has battled his way through it all and, in doing so, has earned the admiration of many.”

“On the domestic scene, the sordid allegations surrounding Andrew Mountbatten Windsor and his subsequent arrest have been the most difficult and dangerous for the King to handle.”

She continued, “Some say he should have acted sooner, but when he did take action, he was ruthless in publicly humiliating his brother and evicting him from his home.

“Some say he should be a better parent and make peace with Prince Harry - but his son has squandered family trust, and that’s hard to regain. We don’t, however, know what goes on in any private conversations, if there are any.”

“He has shown that he is a much more approachable monarch than his mother. She was a woman of her time, and not given to public displays of emotion.

“But, from the off, Charles showed that he was open to a hug - even a group hug - from total strangers. And that has endeared him to the public.”