King Charles and Queen Camilla had to spend the holiday season apart due to the demands of the King’s ongoing cancer treatment.
A recent report from The Times reveals that the royal couple had planned their “favorite” vacations this year—one to Romania and another skiing trip—but both had to be canceled because of the difficult year the King has faced since his diagnosis. Instead, the 76-year-old King and 77-year-old Camilla took separate breaks from their royal duties.
In a surprising twist, the King, rather than following his usual holiday routine, spent a week at the Castle of Mey in Caithness, Scotland. The article notes that although his illness forced him to take time off, it brought some unexpected benefits.
One of these was his return to painting, which he had not done since becoming King. The castle, located on the north coast of Scotland and offering stunning views of the Orkney Islands, provided a serene setting for his artistic pursuits.
While King Charles enjoyed his time in Scotland, Camilla went on a holiday abroad with her family, although the destination remains undisclosed.
The Castle of Mey, a 16th-century estate, was once the home of the Queen Mother, who renovated the property in the 1950s to make it a holiday retreat. Today, the castle is open to the public between May and September.
Despite the canceled vacations, the royal couple did manage to find some relaxation during their royal tour abroad, including engagements in Australia and Samoa. According to The Times, Charles and Camilla’s team worked diligently to ensure they had some privacy, allowing them to enjoy moments of calm, such as swimming in the South Pacific and taking a dip in the Admiralty House pool in Sydney.
Now, the King and Queen are at Sandringham, their traditional December residence. They have spent Christmas at the Norfolk estate for many years, with festivities typically beginning on Christmas Eve with a family dinner.
On Christmas morning, they will lead the royal family on their customary walk to St. Mary Magdalene Church, joined by the Prince and Princess of Wales and their children, Princess Anne, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, and Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi.
