Buckingham Palace has issued an explanation after King Charles was seen with a painful-looking bloodshot eye as he welcomed French President Emmanuel Macron ahead of his three-day state visit.
The monarch, 76, was joined by Queen Camilla, Prince William and Kate Middleton to roll out the welcome wagon for Macron, who touched down in England Tuesday morning.
But not long after the king stepped out, royal watchers noticed that His Majesty’s right eye was entirely bloodshot — raising fresh concerns over his health.
In one image taken Tuesday, the cancer-stricken king’s red eye could be easily spotted as he led the ceremonial start of the French state visit.
The whispers prompted a palace insider to offer reassurance, saying that the king had experienced a burst blood vessel in one eye.
It’s understood that Charles’ eye was affected overnight and is unrelated to any other health conditions, including his ongoing cancer battle.
According to the Mayo Clinic, a burst blood vessel in the eye — medically known as a subconjunctival hemorrhage — is typically nothing to worry about.
While its appearance may raise concerns, it often occurs randomly and can be triggered by a simple cough or sneeze. They typically go away on their own within one to two weeks.
Charles rolled out the red carpet for Macron and his wife, first lady Brigitte Macron, with a ceremonial horse-drawn carriage procession at Windsor Castle.
The royals are also expected to host the Macrons for lunch in the State Dining Room, ahead of a lavish state banquet Tuesday evening in St. George’s Hall.
Macron’s three-day visit, at the invitation of the king, is the first state visit to the UK by a European Union head of state since Brexit, and a symbol of the British government’s desire to reset relations with the bloc that the UK acrimoniously left in 2020.
The visit comes more than a month after the Macrons made headlines when a video surfaced of Brigitte appearing to forcefully shove her husband’s face as they arrived in Vietnam.
“We are squabbling and, rather, joking with my wife,” Macron said afterwards, trying to downplay the airplane incident. “People are saying all sorts of nonsense. Everyone needs to calm down.”
During his visit oversees, the French president will address both houses of Britain’s Parliament in the building’s fabulously ornate Royal Gallery before sitting down for talks with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on migration, defense and investment.
The British royals, for their part, made a state visit to France in September 2023.