King Charles made a surprisingly personal revelation to New Zealand's women's rugby team, the Black Ferns, during a Buckingham Palace event on Wednesday.
He expressed his regret at having to cancel his New Zealand visit because of "doctor's orders". His heartfelt message included: "I am extremely sorry I can't come to New Zealand in later October because of doctor's orders.
But I hope there will be another excuse before too long." He added a loving request to the team: "But in the meantime, give my love to New Zealand, please, and New Zealanders, we get lots of nice Kiwi coming here in this part of the world as well, so we are very lucky indeed." The charming monarch also offered some wisdom with a touch of humour to the young athletes, saying, "And I hope you make the most of your time in the team because you don't stay young for very long, as I discovered, it all goes quicker than you think." This light-hearted comment sparked laughter among the players, leading to a shared chuckle with Charles himself, reports the Express.
He ended his remarks by wishing them success: "Anyway, I do hope you have great success." The conversation comes amid ongoing treatment following Buckingham Palace's disclosure of King Charles's cancer diagnosis on February 5.