Congratulations To King Charles:Kate Middleton and Prince William Lead Tributes for King Charles’ 76th Birthday… See More

The royal family is celebrating the monarch’s birthday on Thursday, Nov. 14 after a tumultuous year.

The King turned 76 on Thursday, Nov. 14, and the Prince and Princess of Wales, both 42, were among the first to send social media tributes.

‘Wishing a very Happy Birthday to His Majesty the King,” Kate and William posted on Instagram alongside an image of Charles wearing sunglasses and a brightly-colored garland of flowers around his neck during his 2024 trip to Samoa.

The official Royal Family Instagram page also shared an image of Charles looking regal in an elaborately decorated room while wearing a classic blue suit.

“Wishing His Majesty The King a very Happy Birthday today,” the post read, coupled with a birthday cake emoji.

It’s become a digital tradition for the British royals to celebrate one another’s birthday on social media, and King Charles is spending his birthday in a relatable way: at work! The King, whose wife Queen Camilla has previously described as a “complete workaholic,” is spending his special day opening the first two Coronation Food Hubs on the first anniversary of the Coronation Food Project.

When the King turned 75 in 2023, which doubled as the year of his historic coronation, he launched the Coronation Food Project to tackle food waste and food insecurity across the U.K., helping people and the planet. The program is an offshoot of the King Charles III Charitable Fund, and the sovereign will do the honors of opening the two Coronation Food Hubs designed to save and circulate tons of surplus food, elevating the potential for food redistribution charities to support those in need.

King Charles is due to check out a “surplus food festival” at the hub he is visiting, and learn more from officials and beneficiaries of food banks, schools and community groups. The Coronation Food Project is also scaling up through increased facilities and resources, and the King will see how this important work is happening firsthand.

It has been a difficult year for the royal family, as the King and Princess Kate both navigated cancer diagnoses. Buckingham Palace announced in February that the King was diagnosed with cancer and began treatment. In April, the palace described the treatment as ongoing.

In September, the Princess of Wales shared that she completed chemotherapy, six months after she announced in March that she was undergoing treatment for cancer.

Though the royal family has rallied for a few major public appearances since — Trooping the Colour in June and Remembrance events on Nov. 9 and 10 — Prince William broke his silence on the challenging year in a remarkably personal interview while in South Africa for his 2024 Earthshot Prize Awards.

“It’s been dreadful. It’s probably been the hardest year in my life,” the Prince of Wales said in part. “So, trying to get through everything else and keep everything on track has been really difficult.”

The heir to the throne commended both his wife and father for how they have navigated their cancer journeys during the “brutal” year.

“But I’m so proud of my wife, I’m proud of my father, for handling the things that they have done. But from a personal family point of view, it’s been, yeah, it’s been brutal,” Prince William said.