King Charles and Queen Camilla are set to welcome crew members from HMS Prince of Wales at St James's Palace for a special reception marking the vessel's triumphant return from Operation HIGHMAST.
The eight-month deployment represented Britain's flagship naval mission of 2025, with the aircraft carrier leading this major global exercise.
Prior to the reception, Queen Camilla will conduct an audience with both the departing and incoming Captains of the warship.
The King and Queen will greet sailors during the event, along with their partners and family members who have gathered to celebrate the deployment's success.
King Charles and Queen Camilla are set to welcome crew members from HMS Prince of Wales at St James's Palace for a special reception marking the vessel's triumphant return from Operation HIGHMAST.
|GETTY
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The royal couple's ties to HMS Prince of Wales stretch back nearly a decade.
Queen Camilla has served as Lady Sponsor since September 2017, when she and the King attended the vessel's naming ceremony at Rosyth dockyard.
The King assumed the role of Honorary Commodore-in-Chief Aircraft Carriers in September 2019, the same year the pair travelled to Portsmouth for the ship's official commissioning ceremony that December.
The Queen returned to tour the aircraft carrier in May 2022, while the King visited the vessel at sea in March 2025, just before Operation HIGHMAST commenced.
The King assumed the role of Honorary Commodore-in-Chief Aircraft Carriers in September 2019, the same year the pair travelled to Portsmouth for the ship's official commissioning ceremony that December.
|GETTY
The planned public appearance on Thursday comes just days after King Charles delivered a historic televised message as part of Channel 4's Stand Up To Cancer 2025 broadcast, sharing positive news about his ongoing battle with the disease.
The 77-year-old monarch announced that his cancer treatment schedule will be scaled back in the New Year, describing the development as "both a personal blessing and a testimony to the remarkable advances that have been made in cancer care in recent years."
The address, which aired at 8pm on Friday night, represented an extraordinary departure from royal convention regarding the sovereign's private medical matters. It was recorded in late November at Clarence House's Morning Room.
The King used the platform to urge viewers across the United Kingdom to prioritise cancer screenings, revealing that a minimum of nine million people have fallen behind on available screening programmes.
The King used the platform to urge viewers across the United Kingdom to prioritise cancer screenings, revealing that a minimum of nine million people have fallen behind on available screening programmes.
|Channel 4
The monarch first learned of his condition in February 2024, when medical professionals identified a form of cancer during a hospital procedure for an enlarged prostate. Buckingham Palace confirmed the illness was unrelated to prostate cancer but has not disclosed the specific type, citing the King's right to medical privacy.
Since receiving his diagnosis, the King has attended weekly treatment sessions whilst maintaining a demanding schedule of official engagements. His working calendar has remained full throughout the past year, including five state visits completed in 2025.
The decision to speak openly about his health marks a significant shift in how the Palace approaches communication about the sovereign's wellbeing.
When initially announcing the diagnosis, the Palace explained that the King wished to share his condition publicly to avoid speculation and help others affected by cancer worldwide.
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