Royal Ascot was a family affair for King Charles III, who was joined on Thursday, June 20, by stepson Tom Parker Bowles.
Charles, 75, was seen kissing Parker Bowles’ cheeks in between the Thursday equestrian races. The king sported a simple gray suit with a pastel blue tie, while Parker Bowles, 49, opted for a black morning suit.
Tom is the son of Charles’ wife, Queen Camilla, and her ex-husband, Andrew Parker Bowles. Camilla, 76, and Andrew, 84, also share daughter Laura Lopes, 46. Following Camilla and Andrew’s divorce, she moved on with a then-recently separated Charles. Charles was previously married to the late Princess Diana, with whom he shared sons Prince William and Prince Harry.
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Tom, for his part, has long “adored” his bond with Charles, which he previously detailed during a 2015 appearance on A Current Affair.
“All you care about your parents is they’re happy and my mother is exceptionally happy at the moment,” Tom said at the time. “I’ve always adored my stepfather; he’s always been a kind and good and lovely man. He is a man of warmth, intelligence and humanity and I think if it ever happens, he will make a fantastic king.”
Charles became England’s monarch in September 2022 after the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth III. Nearly eight months after his May 2023 coronation, Charles confirmed he had been diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer.
“His Majesty’s medical team are very encouraged by the progress made so far and remain positive about the King’s continued recovery,” Buckingham Palace later said in an April statement. “Forthcoming engagements will be adapted where necessary to minimize any risks to His Majesty’s continued recovery.”
Charles had halted his public-facing duties as he underwent treatment, ultimately resuming them by April. Ahead of Royal Ascot, Charles celebrated his birthday on June 15 during the annual Trooping the Colour parade and military flypast.
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Charles celebrated the occasion on the palace balcony alongside Camilla, his siblings Princess Anne and Prince Edward and 42-year-old William. William’s wife, Princess Kate Middleton, also attended alongside their three children: Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6. The celebration was Kate’s first public outing since undergoing her own cancer treatment. (The Princess of Wales, 42, announced her diagnosis in March.)
“I am making good progress, but as anyone going through chemotherapy will know, there are good days and bad days,” Kate said in a statement earlier this month. “On those bad days, you feel weak, tired and you have to give in to your body resting. But on the good days, when you feel stronger, you want to make the most of feeling well.”
She added, “I am learning how to be patient, especially with uncertainty. Taking each day as it comes, listening to my body, and allowing myself to take this much-needed time to heal.”
Kate and Charles especially bonded during their respective cancer treatments with the king often visiting her in the hospital earlier this year.
