Side-By-Side Photos Of King Charles' Transformation Since His Cancer Reveal Are A Gut Punch

It has certainly been a difficult year for King Charles III. While the monarch may seem to be bouncing back with impressive speed, his face reveals the impact of the health struggles he has faced over the past few months. In February, Buckingham Palace announced that the 75-year-old king had been diagnosed with cancer. Yet, just two months later, it was announced that Charles would be returning to public duties amid treatment. Seeing Charles at Trooping the Colour on June 15, 2024 was a heartwarming moment for royal fans, as in many ways, he seemed to be back to his old self. Yet, as one post on X, formerly known as Twitter pointed out, Charles looks very different than he did just a year ago.

Spot the difference...

The left is the King at last year's Garter Day – the right is the King at this year's Garter Day pic.twitter.com/XtGNM5TpbP

— Emily Ferguson (@emsferg) June 17, 2024

Just two days later, Charles attended the Order of the Garter on June 17. Royal editor, Emily Ferguson, shared a side-by-side image of his majesty at the 2023 and 2024 events along with the caption "Spot the difference..." Folks in the comments pointed out that the king appears to have lost weight in the time since while others highlighted a change in his complexion and how old he looks in general. One commenter also noted that Charles "didn't look at all well at Trooping The Colour on Saturday" either. Looking at the two photos of Charles at the Order of the Garter events does show a staggering difference. While he may be in uniform in both images, his age difference between the two photos looks much larger than just a year.

Beyond his appearance, King Charles' illness caused another big difference between this year's Trooping the Colour and last year's celebration. In 2023, Charles chose to ride in the parade on horseback with the military. This year, he scaled back, reportedly on doctors' orders. In an interview with Us Weekly, Gareth Russell, a royal historian, explained, "[Charles'] doctors have been quite clear giving his ongoing cancer treatment, it'd be better if he was in a carriage."

All things considered, Charles' illness didn't prevent him from engaging as needed in Trooping the Colour, even when it meant standing outside in the rain. It's clear that the king will make public appearances and take part in events as much as is possible despite not feeling his best. Charles turned 75 in November 2023, but regardless of when the monarch's birthday falls, the public celebration known as Trooping the Colour is celebrated in June. As such, it's easy to imagine that this day was important, beyond just it's significance as an annual royal celebration. For Charles, this was a celebration of another birthday, which surely has a special impact after the past few months. And, while he may not be back to his old self just yet, he is clearly committed to his duties as king regardless of his health.