How King Charles ‘shocked’ cancer charity members with surprise visit, ‘Stood with my mouth in aghast…’

King Charles stepped out ahead of his visit to Poland to surprise Parkrun participants in Norfolk.

Published on: Jan 29, 2025, 14:02:31 IST

By Sumanti Sen

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Cancer charity members were reportedly left “shocked” due to King Charles’ surprise visit. On Saturday, January 25, the King stepped out ahead of his visit to Poland to surprise Parkrun participants in Norfolk.

How King Charles ‘shocked’ cancer charity members with surprise visit (Aaron Chown/Pool via REUTERS REFILE - CORRECTING LOCATION) (via REUTERS)

The event was organised by the ‘Move Against Cancer's 5K Your Way’ group in partnership with Sandringham Parkrun. Sophie Hansell, the ambassador for the run, said that it was a surprise as no one knew about Charles’ visit.

"I was just in shock, I think I stood with my mouth in aghast for a minute,” Hansell told BBC.

‘He came in through the kitchen door’

Hansell said that the King was invited by a staff member at Sandringham via a letter. Charles walked in and surprised the runners who had gathered in the restaurant area.

"They just set up the restaurant, so it was quite informal, and he came in through the kitchen door,” Hansell recalled.

About 18 members of the cancer charity got the opportunity to meet Charles. The 5k Your Way initiative stresses the benefits of physical exercise combined with peer support.

In an X post, parkrun UK wrote, alongside a photo of the King with a small group of people, “Not every day you get royal approval at parkrun. This morning, His Majesty The King joined Sandringham parkrunners in the cafe to offer his congratulations, including to the Sandringham 5k Your Way group as they marked their one-year anniversary.”

In February 2024, Buckingham Palace announced that Charles had been diagnosed with cancer. It was a rough year for the royal family as not just the King, but Kate Middleton too, was diagnosed with cancer.

Talking about the King’s visit, Hansell said, "He was really engaging. I think a lot of the people who spoke to him said that he seemed to understand what it was like [cancer], and so he could really talk on the level of people's treatment and their recovery.”

Hansell added, "As much as you can empathise from an outsider's perspective, it is completely different having gone through it [cancer] yourself."

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sumanti Sen
Sumanti Sen covers everything that’s happening in the US, from politics to entertainment, but her expertise lies in covering crime news. She has comprehensively chronicled the Idaho student murders, the Laken Riley and Iryna Zarutska cases, and the killing of Charlie Kirk, among other incidents. Over the years, she has interviewed several victims/families of victims of crimes seeking justice. She digs up stories that might otherwise remain unheard, and does her bit to ensure that victims and survivors’ voices are heard. Sumanti’s many years of experience also include interviews with Hamas attack survivors and mental health experts, among others. Her coverage of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and interviews with survivors of the tragedy, coupled with her other works including the Titan submersible coverage, earned her the Digi Journo of the Quarter award during her first year at Hindustan Times. Sumanti actively tracks missing person cases in the United States, and peruses Reddit and other social media platforms to bring to light cases that frequently elude public attention. She has extensively covered the disappearances of Nancy Guthrie, Thomas Medlin, Beau Mann, and Sudiksha Konanki, among others. When not at work, you will either find her with her novels, or with her beloved rescue pooches.Read More

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