King Charles returns to duty - after the British embassy in Moscow ...

King Charles III, during an audience with Veterans of the Korean War (L-R) Alan Guy, Mike Mogridge, Brian Parritt, and Ron Yardley at Buckingham Palace on March 19, 2024 in London, England

Perhaps to the disappointment of Russian commentators – who recently reported his death – King Charles has returned to his duties today in the form of an audience with Korean war veterans.

This morning, King Charles greeted four British veterans of the Korean war, in advance of a palace reception to mark the 70th anniversary of the conflict. The Korean war ravaged the Asian peninsula in the early 1950s, seeing the South battle the Communist north, following a full scale invasion. The war erupted after the communist north and the capitalist south became entrenched in tensions over control of all of Korea. A US and UN intervention saw British troops fighting on the ground during the conflict.

King Charles III (2nd R), along with Master of The King's Household, Vice Admiral Sir Tony Johnstone-Burt (3rd L) during an audience with Veterans of the Korean War (L-R) Alan Guy, Mike Mogridge, Brian Parritt and Ron Yardley at Buckingham Palace on March 19, 2024 in London, England

The King was pictured this morning in the 18th century room of Buckingham Palace, greeting Alan Guy, Mike Mogridge, Brian Parritt and Ron Yardley. The men were seen chatting and smiling together. The audience represented another in the King’s spate of recent behind the scenes duties.

Since his cancer diagnosis, the King has postponed all of his public facing duties, focusing on his treatment and recuperation, while also seeing to behind the scenes duties, such as small audiences like this one and reviewing state papers. Last Wednesday, the King welcomed Baroness Scotland, the Commonwealth secretary-general to Buckingham Palace for a private meeting.

Later on today, the Princess Royal and the Duchess of Edinburgh will host a reception for around 200 Korean War veterans in the Bow Room of Buckingham Palace. Princess Anne, who has been praised for her commitment to royal duty lately, will deliver a speech on the King’s behalf, reflecting on what was once known as the ‘Forgotten War’. Of 60,000 British Armed Forces who served in Korea, 1,100 were killed according to the National Army museum.

LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 19: King Charles III (C), along with Master of The King's Household, Vice Admiral Sir Tony Johnstone-Burt (L) during an audience with Veterans of the Korean War (2nd L-R) Alan Guy, Mike Mogridge, and Brian Parritt at Buckingham Palace on March 19, 2024 in London, England

The King’s appearance this morning came – perhaps somewhat amusingly – after Russian media ‘broke’ the ‘news’ on Monday afternoon that King Charles III was dead. The rumour mill then ratcheted itself up as details of the King’s purported death spread on Telegram. Files were shared in imitation of those produced for official communications of the late Queen’s death. Suggestions then began to flare up speculating that the Buckingham Palace website had been hacked. This, too, was untrue.

Pro-Kremlin outlets then began to elaborate on the story by saying that Buckingham Palace was distributing new pictures of Charles to dispel rumours of his death. A Russian military spokesperson said, ‘London looks pathetic’. All in all, it seems newspeople worked themselves up into a bit of a huff in Russia.