For a man approaching his 78th birthday on November 14 and continuing to undergo cancer treatment, the King's dedication to duty and stamina during a nine-day Caribbean tour was remarkable.
In his linen suit and Serengeti shades, he kept his cool through a punishing schedule of around 40 engagements across the Bahamas, Guyana and Antigua and Barbuda.
Revealing how the monarch found himself clutching handbells and dancing along Bay Street in Nassau at the heart of a noisy and colourful Junkanoo parade in the Bahamas, a senior palace aide said: "The King said, 'I think I'm going to get involved,' and off he went and did. At the end of it, they said, 'Could they have the cowbells back?' Because perhaps they might want them as a special souvenir for the next Junkanoo.”
Asked about the King's current state of health following on from his cancer diagnosis in early 2024, the aide replied: "I think probably the best response to that is a picture of a man about to turn 78 wangling the cowbells as he jives down the street in nearly 40 degree heat. When the engagement finished, I get in the car next to him and say: 'Crikey, I'm hot'. He says, 'Oh, never mind.' So no, he copes. I mean, frankly...