As King Charles continues his treatment for cancer, he can thankfully call upon other royal family members to fill in for him. This time, it was Prince Edward and Duchess Sophie's turn to step up. The pair took part in a historic Buckingham Palace ceremony on Monday, which saw the traditional Changing of the Guard include French troops for the first time.
This is the 120th anniversary of a key diplomatic agreement between the U.K. and France known as the "Entente Cordiale." It involved 32 members of the Gendarmerie’s Garde Républicaine, joining 40 Guardsmen from the Scots Guards. This was the first time that soldiers from a non-Commonwealth country had joined the ceremony.
In a parallel gesture, 16 soldiers from Number 7 Company Coldstream Guards, accompanied by two military musicians, joined troops from 1st Régiment de la Garde Républicaine in Paris, to provide the Presidential Guard outside the Elysée Palace. This was the first time a foreign state had helped to guard the French Presidential Residence.
French President Emmanuel Macron inspected the troops there, with the expectation that King Charles would observe the ones in London. Unfortunately, this was not possible for Charles, so he sent two of the most stable and hardworking members of the royal family in his place. Edward and Sophie have been the quiet backbone of the royal family for years, and will celebrate 25 years of marriage this June.
Since the announcement of the King's cancer diagnosis on February 5, his attendance at public appearances has been dramatically scaled back. Usually his wife, Queen Camilla, or son, Prince William, have handled royal appearances in his absence, but William remains on Easter break with his wife, Princess Kate, and their children Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.
As such, Charles asked his youngest sibling Edward and Sophie, who carry the titles the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, to handle this special ceremony. The French ambassador to the U.K., Her Excellency Hélène Duchêne, accompanied them.
According to reports from the palace, Charles is staying positive during his treatment and that, depending on his doctors' recommendations, he may be able to carry out more public events in the coming weeks and months.
