After a difficult year, the King has time to reflect on the anniversary of the Queen's death

The King will visit a church near Balmoral to hold private prayers and thoughts for his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, on the second anniversary of her death.

Charles will visit Crathie Kirk, where the late Queen held Sunday services two years after his accession to the throne.

The 75-year-old royal is staying at his estate in Aberdeenshire in the Highlands, where his mother died peacefully on September 8, 2022 at the age of 96.

Queen Camilla will be at Charles' side. After the challenges of the last nine months, the couple will spend the summer in their retreat in Scotland.

The king's second year as ruler was marked by a double serious health blow: the diagnosis of cancer in him and his daughter-in-law, the Princess of Wales.

But as the monarch and his wife travel to Australia and Samoa in the autumn, their first major long-distance trip since news of Charles' condition emerged, a royal source said Charles' health was “on a positive trajectory”.

On Accession Day, the Archbishop of Canterbury, who delivered the sermon at the late Queen's state funeral, thanked Elizabeth II for her “life of faith and devotion” and prayed for the King's “steadfast service”.

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The Right Reverend Justin Welby said: “Today we remember the life of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and mark the second anniversary of the accession of His Majesty King Charles III.

“As we pray for the Royal Family today, we thank Queen Elizabeth for her life of faith and devotion – and continue to pray for the King and his unwavering service to our nation.”

The anniversary is a very personal occasion for the king, who became monarch when his beloved mother died in the year of her Platinum Jubilee after reigning for seven decades.

A royal source said: “There will be personal thoughts, prayers and reflections.

“I am sure it will be a very moving day for everyone. How could it be otherwise, not least given the challenges the whole family has been through?”

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Royal expert Joe Little of Majesty magazine described the King and Kate's health problems as a “rollercoaster ride”.

“Nobody saw these things coming and they have had a profound impact,” Mr Little said.

“It has been a year of ups and downs for the King, not just for himself but for his family, and the Queen must have been very worried about it.

“Yet he was remarkably active for someone with his illness and considering his age.

“He didn't really let the treatment hold him back, but I'm sure he didn't do nearly as much as he would have liked to.”

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The King's second year as monarch has been less hectic than his first. Cancer treatment has understandably impacted his schedule, but he has still made dozens of visits, meetings and events.

According to an analysis of the court circular by the PA news agency, Charles attended official engagements on 132 days last year, compared with 161 days in the previous 12 months.

On Saturday, Charles, dressed in a tartan kilt, and Camilla enjoyed a day at the annual Braemar Gathering and watching the Highland Games.

Scotland's First Minister John Swinney and his wife Elizabeth Quigley also arrived on the same day to stay with the King and Queen. The King had an audience with Mr Swinney on Saturday evening.

Hundreds of miles away, prayers are being said for the king and the royal family at a service in London's Westminster Abbey – the scene of the late queen's final farewell speech at her funeral eleven days after her death.

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In addition, the bells of the Gothic abbey will ring as usual to mark the king's jubilee.

Gun salutes are normally fired on Accession Day, but as this year's day falls on a Sunday, when gun salutes are not traditionally fired, the military tribute by the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery in Hyde Park and the Honourable Artillery Company in the Tower of London has been postponed until Monday.

Both participating regiments were responsible for firing the Death Gun salutes following the death of Elizabeth II, with almost all participating soldiers and horses playing a role in the Queen's funeral and the King's proclamation.

Members of the royal family regularly hold services at Crathie Kirk while staying at nearby Balmoral Castle, and the late Queen, a devout Christian, was also a regular visitor.

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The foundation stone for the 19th century church was laid by the king's great-great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria.

The small grey granite church is located just a short drive from the castle, on a hill overlooking the 14th-century church ruins and the River Dee.

The Princess Royal married the then Commander Tim Laurence there in the winter of 1992.

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