King Charles III on Wednesday 21 February held his first face-to-face official duties – an audience with Rishi Sunak and a Privy Council – since being diagnosed with cancer. He met the prime minister at Buckingham Palace late in the afternoon, marking the restart of their weekly encounters to discuss matters of government. Beforehand, the monarch held an in-person Privy Council at the royal residence, where attendees included Penny Mordaunt and a selection of other ministers who are Privy Counsellors. Mr Sunak told Charles it was “wonderful to see you looking so well”, prompting him to joke it was “all done with mirrors”.