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King Charles III said public messages of support over his cancer diagnosis "reduced me to tears most of the time" during his first day back on public duties.
The king returned to public work for the first time 16 days after beginning treatment for cancer, meeting Prime Minister Rishi Sunak shortly before 6.30 p.m. local time on Wednesday even as chaos appeared to unfold in British politics.
The drama—over a House of Commons motion calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza—appeared a world away during their warm and polite exchange.
The king acknowledged there had been "a bit of a gap I'm afraid" since their last face-to-face meeting but appeared in good spirits and even cracked a joke.
Sunak suggested it was "wonderful to see you looking so well" and Charles responded "well, it's all done by mirrors, really," suggesting his radiant appearance was something of an illusion.
And he showed some vulnerability when he said he had received: "So many wonderful messages and cards—it's reduced me to tears most of the time." The video can be seen here.
Even as they spoke, the House of Commons erupted during a heated debate in Parliament that saw government and opposition Scottish National Party lawmakers stage a walkout in protest during a debate about Gaza.
These scenes may be worth Charles keeping a careful eye on, as they came a day after his son, Prince William, issued a statement on the subject, which placed him at odds with the Israeli government.
William's statement on Tuesday read: "I remain deeply concerned about the terrible human cost of the conflict in the Middle East since the Hamas terrorist attack on 7 October. Too many have been killed.
"I, like so many others, want to see an end to the fighting as soon as possible. There is a desperate need for increased humanitarian support to Gaza. It's critical that aid gets in and the hostages are released.
"Sometimes it is only when faced with the sheer scale of human suffering that the importance of permanent peace is brought home.
"Even in the darkest hour, we must not succumb to the counsel of despair. I continue to cling to the hope that a brighter future can be found and I refuse to give up on that."
An Israel Defense Forces statement said: "Israelis of course want to see an end to the fighting as soon as possible and that will be possible once the 134 hostages are released and once the Hamas terror army threatening to repeat the October 7 atrocities is dismantled.
"We appreciate the Prince of Wales' call for Hamas to free the hostages. We also recall with gratitude his statement from October 11 condemning Hamas' terror attacks and reaffirming Israel's right of self defence against them."
Hamas launched the deadliest attack on Israel by Palestinian militants in the country's history on October 7, killing 1,200 people and taking around 250 hostage.
Israel subsequently launched its heaviest ever airstrikes on Gaza followed by a ground offensive, with the death toll among Palestinians reaching 29,092 as of February 20, The Associated Press reported, citing the Gaza Health Ministry.
Jack Royston is Newsweek's chief royal correspondent, based in London. You can find him on X (formerly Twitter) at @jack_royston and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.
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About the writer
Jack Royston is Newsweek's Chief Royal Correspondent based in London, U.K. He reports on the British royal family—including King Charles ... Read more