King Charles III: Seven big moments from his first year as King
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King Charles III will spend the first anniversary of his reign as King by spending the day at the Royal Family's home at Balmoral Castle in Scotland.
While there, the King is expected to mark the occasion "quietly and privately", as he remembers his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, who died one year ago.
As Queen Elizabeth's eldest son, Charles became King immediately after his mother died aged 96 on 8 September 2022.
He was officially crowned during his Coronation on 6 May 2023.
Here are some of the big moments the UK's new monarch has had to deal with during his first year as King.
Queen Elizabeth II's funeral
King Charles III with the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II
Following the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the new King led the nation in mourning for its longest-reigning monarch.
The state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II took place on Monday 19 September 2022.
A state funeral is a huge public memorial ceremony for an important person, with the whole country paying tribute.
The Queen: What happened on the day of her funeral?
During the ceremony the Queen's coffin was taken in procession from the Palace of Westminster to Westminster Abbey in London.
It involved the King walking behind his mother's coffin alongside other members of the Royal Family.
The King said he had been "moved beyond measure" by the support he had received from across the world.
"Over the last 10 days, my wife and I have been so deeply touched by the many messages of condolence and support we have received from this country and across the world" he said.
The Coronation
WATCH: What happened at the Coronation?
King Charles and Queen Camilla were crowned during a special ceremony on 6 May 2023.
More than 2,000 people, including politicians and celebrities, from 203 countries attended Westminster Abbey in London for the historic service.
In a change to the coronations of kings and queens of the past, the ceremony reflected a more diverse, multi-faith Britain, made up of what the King called a "community of communities".
The King and Queen said that they were "profoundly grateful" to the many people who showed their support across the UK.
In the UK, the British monarchy is known as something called a constitutional monarchy.
This means that they don't get involved in - or talk about - politics.
Protests against the monarchy
Protests against the monarchy have become a much more regular and visible part of royal events, with people shouting out against the Royal Family during occasions such as Queen Elizabeth II's funeral and the King's Coronation.
Some protests even resulted in people being arrested.
A YouGov poll which asked adults for their opinions, showed that most people, 62%, are still in support of Britain remaining a monarchy.
But there seems to be growing opposition to the monarchy among younger people, with only 30% of 18 to 24 year olds believing the monarchy was "good for Britain".
Appointing a government - the leader of the political party that wins a general election is usually called to Buckingham Palace, where the King invites them to form a government. The King also formally dissolves the government before a general election
The King's Speech - the King begins the parliamentary year with the State Opening ceremony, where he sets out the government's plans in a speech delivered from the throne in the House of Lords.
State visit to Germany
As King, Charles III is also the UK's Head of State.
A Head of State is a person who embodies, or symbolises, a country.
In a republic, they may be a president, but in the UK, where there's a monarchy, they are a king or queen.
The role involves important visits to other countries, representing Britain.
In his first year as King, Charles made a state visit to Germany, where he became the first British monarch to speak in the German parliament.
The King said it was a great honour to be in the country, and talked about historic ties between the UK and Germany.
The King said he could "hardly begin to express the pride I feel" at the relations between the UK and Germany and that he hoped to "renew the pledge of friendship between our nations".
Embarrassment for the palace over racism allegations
Prince William has said that racism "has no place in our society"
A difficult moment for the King came in late 2022, when a black British guest at Buckingham Palace, Ngozi Fulani, was asked repeatedly where she was "really from" by Prince William's godmother, Lady Susan Hussey.
Ngozi Fulani described how Lady Hussey - a senior member of the royal household - had moved her hair aside without permission to see her name badge, and then challenged her to explain where she was from.
Lady Hussey apologised and resigned from her job after the complaints about her behaviour.
Christmas message
The King delivered his Christmas message from St George's Chapel, Windsor
In a tradition that was started in 1932 by his great grandfather, King George V, the UK's monarch has recorded a speech for the nation to be broadcast on Christmas Day.
In the 1930s the message was given on BBC radio.
But in 1957 Queen Elizabeth II gave the first ever Christmas message on television.
Since then, the yearly speech has often reflected issues faced by families across the UK but also within the royal family.
In his first Christmas message, King Charles III used his speech to talk about the NHS and the cost-of-living crisis.
He spoke of the "great anxiety and hardship" for those struggling to "pay their bills and keep their families fed and warm".
As King, Charles is also now head of the Commonwealth.
The Commonwealth is a collection of 54 countries from around the world. In the past many of these nations were part of the British Empire.
Almost one in every three people in the whole world live in the Commonwealth, and it is made up of people of all faiths, races, languages, cultures and traditions.
Prince Harry's book
Another difficult moment for the Royal Family came in January, as Prince Harry wrote a book about his difficult relationship with his family and in particular, his brother Prince William and his dad, King Charles.
The book, which is called Spare, is an autobiography - which means it is the story of a person's life, written by them, from their own viewpoint.
Harry and William's mother died in a car crash in Paris in 1997.
In his book Harry said he and his brother William asked their father not to marry Camilla, who is King Charles III's wife and Queen, over fears she would be their "wicked stepmother".
However, Harry wrote that he and his brother were willing to forgive her in "their hearts" if she could make their dad, King Charles, happy.
What's next for King Charles?
Royal experts say that one of the biggest challenges for the King is to appear relatable, as he was born into a life of wealth and privilege, and is King at a time when people are experiencing difficulties due to the cost-of-living crisis.
The King, while unable to comment publicly on political matters, has always talked passionately about the environment and sustainability.
He is expected to be planning a big food project that will be announced in the autumn - encouraging people to avoid food waste and finding ways for people to have access to better quality food that is affordable.
- Published9 May 2023
