King Charles and Queen Camilla met local community volunteers during their final engagement of 2024 at Waltham Forest Town Hall just hours after it was confirmed the monarch’s cancer treatment will be ongoing in 2025

King Charles joked “I’m still alive” as he asked after his health during his final engagement before Christmas.

Charles and Queen Camilla hailed the community spirit as they meet local community volunteers, young people, emergency services, and faith representatives, at Waltham Forest Town Hall, north London. Harvinder Rattan, Sikh faith representative, said: “Your Majesty, good morning, how are you?” The King, 76, replied, jokingly: “I’m still alive.”

It comes as it was confirmed the monarch’s cancer treatment will be ongoing in the New Year. Charles and Camilla also met locals at a reception where refreshments were provided by Havens Café, whose owner Usman Khalid is a former asylum seeker who now trains refugees to be baristas. Charles spoke to Usman and said his coffee “looks good.”

Charles met local community volunteers, young people, emergency services, and faith representatives ( 
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Camilla handed two bags of Buckingham Palace teddy bears to community group Citizens UK who will donate the toys to local children. George Gaillett, community organiser at Citizens UK, said afterwards: “The Queen said ‘we hope you can distribute this and they can go to the right people’.”

Alexandra Martinelli-Kinmouth, of charity The Together Space, made the King a cup of tea. She said afterwards: “I said to him I hope it’s not too cold and spoke about my charity. He smiled and said he hoped it had some honey in, which it did.”

The couple also donated food to Tracey Rogers, of Highams Park Hub, to be handed out at a food bank. Tracey said afterwards: “I went to the Coronation and told him the atmosphere was absolutely phenomenal.” Monwara Ali, CEO of Waltham Forest Community Hub, also gave the King a high-five.

Queen Camilla at the reception today ( 
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She said afterwards: “It’s important that our generation, particularly those in leadership roles, need to engage with the younger generation; it’s part of our succession plan. He was happy to do it and the fact he agreed was amazing.”

Outside, the King enjoyed a rendition by A Little Choir of Joy, a children’s choir made up of 8 to 12-year-olds from across schools in the borough. He went to speak to the youngsters and said: “I hope you have a Happy Christmas. And also to your poor teachers.” The King went to speak to dozens of well-wishers who turned out while the Queen waited in the car as it was too cold.

King Charles during a reception at Waltham Forest Town Hall today ( 
Image:
PA)

Caroline Akuffo, 77, showed the King a black and white photo she had kept framed on her wall from a meeting in Osaka, Japan, in 1970. She said: “It was a trade fair. He came to the pavilion and I remember shaking his hands and they were so soft it was like holding cotton wool. He was so happy to see the photo and said I was wearing a lovely dress.”

Thousands of residents in Waltham Forest held a peaceful anti-racism protest following the nationwide disorder after the stabbing of three children at a Taylor Swift-themed party in Southport.

Waltham Forest was officially recognised as a Borough of Sanctuary by the national charity City of Sanctuary in December 2023. It is the final royal engagement before the King and Queen take a Christmas break.