King Charles is celebrating his 78th birthday, marking the day privately while birthday wishes flood in. The Prince and Princess of Wales posted a message with a picture of themselves on the show, reading "Wishing a very Happy Birthday to His Majesty The King!" The King joined Sir Elton John, 79, for a special episode of Elton's regular Rocket Hour on Apple Radio, recorded last month at Apple Music Studios in south London and premiered on Saturday morning.
During the broadcast the pair chose 14 tracks together. The King described Elton's 1986 Wembley Arena performance of I'm Still Standing, which marked The King's Trust 10th anniversary, and picked the song for its "message of resilience", saying "we and the Trust are definitely still standing." Elton joked "I'm still sitting now, though", and the King replied that bits were "dropping off here and there". The King also recalled the "magic" of Paul McCartney's 2002 performance of The Beatles' All You Need Is Love at a concert for his late mother's Golden Jubilee, and the show marked the Trust's 50th anniversary and the role musicians have played in supporting it.S1S2
Earlier, the King visited Surrey Street Market in Croydon, where stallholders and shoppers mobbed him, a local Bollywood band and dancers performed, and he was presented with a birthday cake to cut. He had also been mobbed by screaming teenagers at the BRIT School in Croydon earlier in the day.S1
The birthday comes as the King continues his duties despite cancer treatment following a diagnosis almost three years ago. Family matters have also weighed on him, including the February arrest of his brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, detained on suspicion of misconduct in public office over allegedly handing confidential information to Jeffrey Epstein while he was UK trade envoy, which Andrew has vehemently denied. The King has also paid over £1 million to the Crown Estate after Royal Lodge was left in disrepair, and he issued a statement clarifying that Harry and Meghan, who are moving back to the UK in August, are 'private citizens' whose work is not for the Firm.S1
