Selfless King will reflect on difficult 12 months since he became monarch

KING Charles will mark privately the one-year anniversary today of his Coronation with no official fanfare to herald the milestone.

- Emily Ferguson

This quiet moment of reflection is a tradition that has been adopted by sovereigns and the monarch will no doubt muse on how difficult the past 12 months have been.

It started off seamlessly, with successful tours abroad and a boost in popularity at home, the King's reign took a dramatic turn when a dual health announcement was made about the King and the Princess of Wales on January 17.

Kate was to remain in hospital for up to a fortnight after undergoing major abdominal surgery while Charles was due to be admitted for prostate surgery.

This left a dearth of working royals to undertake bread-and-butter engagements, with the Queen, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh and Princess Anne stepping up.

In the weeks that followed, it was announced the King had cancer and in March the Princess revealed that she too had been diagnosed with the disease.

There is no doubt it has been a difficult few months but the Royal Family have been buoyed by the outpouring of love and support from the public.

However, things are looking up as the King is starting to resume a more fulsome schedule and has returned to public-facing duties.