King Charles will mark what would have been the late Queen Elizabeth’s 100th birthday with a heartfelt message to the nation.
Charles will deliver a recorded address to commemorate the life and legacy of his late mother and to commit to the values of duty, honesty and integrity that she held dear throughout her 70-year reign on April 21, sources have said.
There will also be a special reception at Buckingham Palace for dozens of guests, hosted by him and Queen Camilla as part of the celebrations.
Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, Charles has had a difficult start to his reign, with his personal health battles and dealing with his disgraced brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
Charles began the formal process to strip Andrew of his royal titles, styles and honours after intensified scrutiny over his links to Epstein, last October.
The former duke was later arrested on suspicion of misconduct in a public office amid claims he shared sensitive information with Epstein while he served as a trade envoy.
It comes as a trove of millions of documents, known as the Epstein files, were released by the US Department of Justice contained correspondence suggesting he may have shared sensitive trade information.
The disgraced Duke was held in custody for 11 hours and was later released under investigation.
King Charles has written a personal reflection on the life and achievements of his mother, the late Queen, which he will deliver later this month to mark her 100th birthday
Mountbatten-Windsor, who remains eighth in line to the throne, has always vehemently denied any wrongdoing.
Charles also continues to battle cancer after being diagnosed in February 2024 and had been receiving weekly treatment.
Despite this, he has continued with a packed working diary, with five state visits this year alone.
His treatment plan was recently reduced as he manages living with the disease.
He has also been estranged from his youngest son, Prince Harry, and has only seen him twice in two years following Harry’s acrimonious departure from the UK
A royal insider told the Mirror: ‘The start to the King’s reign has not been without its obvious troubles, but there has been much to celebrate as well.
‘He has been immensely positive in the face of adversity, continuing his cancer treatment while maintaining an incredible work rate. He has travelled extensively across the country and abroad, meeting two Popes, celebrating 50 years of the King’s Trust (formerly the Prince’s Trust) and pressing on with historic visits abroad.
‘His message will be one celebration of an incredible life well lived and also an opportunity for him to renew his vow of service to the nation and the Commonwealth, but also speak to the values that he stands by – where fairness and the well-being of others matter most.’
Charles has reportedly penned personal reflections on what he considers his mother’s greatest achievements.
This will be accompanied by a touching video montage of poignant moments from her life played on screen.
That is expected to include footage from her service during WW2 in the Auxiliary Territorial Service, memories from royal tours around the world and duties at home, and moments from her Platinum Jubilee celebrations in 2022.
Charles is said to have invested considerable time curating the list of invitees to the reception, prioritising representatives from organisations and charities with which his mother formed deep connections.
They are being selected from hundreds of patronages that Queen Elizabeth had throughout her life.
A royal insider, speaking to The Mirror, which first reported the occasion, said: ‘The 100th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II birth will not only be a poignant moment of reflection for His Majesty, it will be a cause for celebration of an incredible life well lived and a life dedicated to duty and to her country.
‘The tone will not be sombre, but rather a celebration and a change for people across out four nations and the Commonwealth to come together and reflect on an amazing life and legacy of our Queen.’
Senior members of the royal family are expected to join the King and Queen at Buckingham Palace for the reception.
There will be a series of engagements around the date to allow the country to reflect on the Queen’s reign.
Preparations are also ongoing for a national monument to Elizabeth, which is to be unveiled in St James’s Park in London.
It features a state of the late Queen at Marlborough Gate, a new Prince Philip Gate on the other side of the park, a ‘family of gardens’, and a translucent unity bridge.
The winning design is from Lord Norman Foster, the architect behind The Gherkin.