Grim coronation year for King Charles gives William opportunity to shape monarchy

Britain’s King Charles III, who marks a year since his coronation on Monday, has seen his reign blown off course by illness but aims to get it back on track to establish a renewed bond with the public.

His disclosure in February that he had been diagnosed with cancer, followed by a similar palace announcement in March that his daughter-in-law Kate, the Princess of Wales, had begun cancer treatment, has shaken the 1,200 year-old monarchy, which serves not only the UK but also 14 other overseas realms including Australia, New Zealand, and Canada.

Faced with the tough task of following his mother Queen Elizabeth II after her unprecedented 70 years on the throne, Charles’s reign got off to a strong start with a much smoother transition than many of his countrymen expected.