The King and Prime Minster made their first public appearance together on Wednesday night since they found themselves in the spotlight following the latest Epstein revelations.
Sir Keir Starmer joined His Majesty at Windsor Castle at a reception to celebrate the inspirational work of the nation’s paid and unpaid carers.
All eyes were on the two men, with Sir Keir striding up to greet King Charles warmly, shaking him by the hand and even touching him on his shoulder.
He then greeted the Queen with a kiss on each cheek and before, surprisingly, also patting her on the arm.
The three spoke briefly before going their separate ways to greet some of the 380 guests who had thronged excitedly into the castle’s state apartments.
Also in the royal party were the Duchess of Edinburgh and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester.
The reception was organised by Buckingham Palace recognise the hard work and challenges faced by millions of carers across the United Kingdom, from professional carers to young people with caring responsibilities.
Among the more well-known guests was Coleen Rooney, elegant in a white pinstriped trouser suit and diamond necklace, who spoke about her family’s experience of caring for her sister, Rosie, who was severely disabled, and died in 2013 at the age of 14.
Sir Keir Starmer joined His Majesty at Windsor Castle at a reception to celebrate the inspirational work of the nation’s paid and unpaid carers
Among the more well-known guests was Coleen Rooney, elegant in a white pinstriped trouser suit and diamond necklace, who spoke about her family’s experience of caring for her sister , Rosie, who was severely disabled, and died in 2013 at the age of 14
Sir Keir speaks with guests during a reception to highlight the inspirational work of paid and unpaid carers at Windsor Castle
King Charles and Queen Camilla at the reception
She said: ‘Tonight is about recognition for carers, whether that be your job role or your family member.
‘I think it is something that isn’t talked about enough and isn’t celebrated enough.
‘If you have a family member it’s not a job, it’s because you care and you love them. It’s very important that they are recognised and celebrated.
‘On the walk up here tonight you could see the excitement on their faces at being thanked and recognised.
‘It’s nice for them to have an invitation and be recognised and enjoy a special occasion.
‘These volunteers, these people who give up their time and not get paid. They connect and give their love to these people.
‘I have seen it first hand through my sister. And the hospices, where they rely on fundraising and volunteers.
At the start of the reception in St George’s Hall, Their Majesties, together with the Prime Minister and Lady Starmer, met a small group of people with a range of caring experiences to hear their stories before joining the wider reception.
Guests at the reception included representatives from charities and community groups involved in the care sector and in supporting carers, as well as individuals with direct caring responsibilities.
Ms Rooney continued: ‘These parents have it 24/7. To be honest it should be my mum and dad here, not me. It was them that would go days and days without sleep.
‘It was the first time I have met the King and Queen, it was so lovely.
‘But I have been to Windsor Castle before on the tour with the children a couple of times after we’ve been to Legoland. They loved it. It’s been a lovely walk.
‘They asked me about who I cared for and I talked about my sister. We spent our life in and out of hospitals and hospices.
‘You get to see first hand how the nurses, the doctors, the volunteers, the hospice works. They all care about the job. They are passionate about it.
‘It has just been such a lovely experience.’
Presenter Kate Garraway, who cared for her late husband, Derek Draper, who passed away at the age of 56 following complications as a result of contracting Covid, described the caring community as ‘brilliant’.
Presenter Kate Garraway (pictured), who cared for her late husband, Derek Draper, who passed away at the age of 56 following complications as a result of contracting Covid, described the caring community as ‘brilliant’
Guests at the reception included representatives from charities and community groups involved in the care sector and in supporting carers, as well as individuals with direct caring responsibilities. Pictured: King Charles greets Rory Stewart
Their Majesties maintain long‑standing links and patronages with a wide range of organisations supporting carers, including Age UK, Macmillan Cancer Support and Maggie’. Pictured: Queen Camilla at the reception
‘It is a very isolating existence, as much as you love it and want to do it,’ she said.
‘But it doesn’t feel very recognised because it’s just you and the four walls. So to come and be recognised somewhere like this by the King and Queen is very special.
‘People care out of love and out of need. We are all going to need care or be a carer at sometime in our lives.
‘I was the primary carer but after about eight months I had to go back to work because we had gone from two to no incomes.
‘People have to give up their job every day to care. There are a lot of pressures.
‘People can find themselves in a very changed financial position. It challenges how families can survive.
‘If you paid all the people that are caring for people unpaid a wage then it would be more than the budget of the whole of the NHS. They are saving all of us.’
Sir Keir added: ‘It is really important to celebrate them.
‘I am really pleased His Majesty The King and Her Majesty the Queen are hosting this at Windsor because it’s an opportunity not just to say thank you but also to recognise and celebrate what carers do.
‘Whether they are carers for family members, carers in homes, or carers within a large network.
‘I really wanted to come tonight because I wanted to say thank you and because I know firsthand because my sister is a carer what carers do is incredible, it is skilled.
‘I’ve seen my sister at work, she works with adults with Down Syndrome. I couldn’t do what she does.
‘One of my missions is to give equal worth to those like carers who do jobs I couldn’t do as we give to politicians and those with positions of power.
‘To be here at Windsor Castle, in the main banqueting room, is a small but important way of giving that recognition. ‘
All eyes were on King Charles and Sir Keir, with Sir Keir striding up to greet King Charles warmly, shaking him by the hand and even touching him on his shoulder
Their Majesties maintain long‑standing links and patronages with a wide range of organisations supporting carers, including Age UK, Macmillan Cancer Support and Maggie’s.
The Duchess of Edinburgh’s patronages represented at the reception included Shooting Star Children’s Hospices and Brainwave.
The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester’s patronages included Parkinson’s UK and The Children’s Society.
The 2021 Census revealed that there are 5.8 million unpaid carers in the UK, with 29 per cent providing more than 50 hours of care each week, and women making up 59 per cent of the unpaid carer population.
Barnardo’s has estimated that as many as one in five children in the UK may be young carers.
The adult social care sector in England alone employs approximately 1.59 million people, including care workers, nurses, social workers, and support staff.
In a printed message to his guests, the King said he and the Queen were delighted to ‘celebrate and give thanks to those remarkable individuals who dedicate their lives to the care of others’, describing their work as ‘profoundly valuable…for humanity as a whole.’
He highlighted the fact that currently around five million people in the UK provide unpaid care to a loved one – one in every ten adults.
‘They do so not for recognition nor reward, but because their hearts compel them to,’ he said.
He added: ‘I have been privileged, throughout my life, to meet many individuals involved in such service.
‘In care homes and hospices, in support groups and community centres, I have witnessed the extraordinary tenderness with which you go about your duties.
‘I have seen the patience required when the vulnerable person you care for is in distress.
‘I have witnessed the tears held at bay when an elderly loved one no longer recognises your face.
‘I have observed the gentle humour and camaraderie of colleagues that can lighten the heaviest of days.
‘Above all, I have been moved, time and again, by the resilience of those who give so much of themselves while asking for so little in return.
‘Indeed, those who devote their lives to the care of others often do so at the expense of their own health and wellbeing.
‘Research tells us that many informal carers struggle to maintain employment whilst fulfilling their caring duties. Isolation, exhaustion, and financial strain are constant companions for too many.’
‘We owe it to them not merely to offer our thanks, but our practical support.
The King also highlights the particular instances of children and young people who care for their parents and others relatives.
‘There are hundreds of thousands of them across this nation, some as young as five years old, helping to care for parents, siblings or grandparents,’ he said.
‘They prepare meals, administer medication, provide emotional support and manage household chores, all while trying to navigate the ordinary challenges of growing up.
‘While every carer deserves our respect, these young people merit our most profound admiration.
‘They demonstrate daily what many take a lifetime to understand: that the willingness to help others is the most noble human quality of all.
‘It is beholden us to ensure that their selflessness does not come at the cost of their own childhood, their education or their dreams.’
He added: ‘So to those who provide care – whether you wear a uniform or simply the clothes you felt able to pull on in the morning – please know that the great love you show in small ways every day is an example and an inspiration to us all.
‘It is our duty, in return, to ensure it is never taken for granted nor forgotten.’
