King ‘looking better’ as he meets well-wishers after Sandringham church service

The King took time to chat with air cadets and members of the public as he walked to church on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk on Sunday.

Several dozen well-wishers turned out to see Charles, 75, as he strolled to the service at St Mary Magdalene Church on a warm July day.

The size of the crowd had swelled to more than 100 people by the time the King walked back to Sandringham House after the service, and he took time to speak with many of them.

Members of the public were invited into the paddock near the church as they are on Christmas Day.

The King – who is continuing to receive treatment following a cancer diagnosis – wore a grey suit, purple tie and brown shoes.

The sun shone as he made the short journey, of a few minutes on foot, from Sandringham House to the church.

Charles, who was not joined by Camilla, briefly spoke with members of the public on the way to the church before being greeted by the Rev Canon Dr Paul Williams.

After the service, he walked down the steps from the church and took time to speak with Flt Lt Pauline Petch and a line-up of air cadets from 42F Squadron.

Ms Petch has overseen the local RAF cadets for the last 20 years and is retiring next week with the Sandringham Flower Show as her last duty.

It is understood the King and Queen are unable to attend this year’s Sandringham Flower Show, on Wednesday, due to existing diary commitments.

Ms Petch, of Middleton near King’s Lynn, said she sent the King a card from the Squadron when news emerged that he was ill.

In it, she wished him well and said “I hope I’ll see you at the flower show which will be my 20th year in command and probably my last engagement”.

The former teacher, aged 66, said she was later told that the King was not coming to the flower show this year, but that she was invited with a group of cadets to the church gate on Sunday.

Ms Petch said it meant “a lot” to have been invited, adding: “It’s an honour to be down here.”

She said the King thanked her for what she had done.

“He spoke to each of the cadets so well and asked them so many different things about their schooling and about what they get from cadets,” she said.

“He’s so interested and always has been.”

After speaking with the cadets, Charles walked back to Sandringham House, speaking to well-wishers along the way.

Joanne Barker, from the village of Pleasley near Chesterfield, Derbyshire, spoke with Charles.

The 57-year-old mobile hairdresser said: “I think he looks a lot better. I admire him so much.

“Even just to talk to people, he’s amazing, but I think he looked a lot better than he has done.

“He was walking quite well. I think he seemed in good spirits, he was lovely and he had a laugh with us.”

She said they spoke about the crooked spire in Chesterfield and she asked him if he knew the folklore of it.

“He said ‘no’, so we told him the devil came over as they were building it and sort of tipped it,” she said.

“He laughed and said ‘I like that, I like that very much, I prefer that than the twisted oak story’.”