Buckingham Palace addresses King Charles’ bloodshot eye following state visit from President Macron

President Emmanuel Macron of France and his wife Brigitte arrived in the UK today for a state visit, welcomed by King Charles and Queen Camilla in Windsor.

The royal welcome took place on a specially prepared Royal Dais near Windsor and Eton Riverside station, with Windsor Castle in the background. Prince William and Princess Kate joined the French guests after greeting them at RAF Northolt and traveled together to Windsor.

Observers noticed King Charles had a bloodshot right eye during the ceremony. Buckingham Palace clarified that it was caused by a burst blood vessel, not related to his cancer treatment, and emphasized there’s no reason for concern.

According to the Mayo Clinic, such eye conditions—known as subconjunctival hemorrhages—look serious but are typically harmless and resolve in about two weeks without treatment.

This visit marks the first by an EU head of state to the UK since Brexit and is notably the first such event hosted at Windsor in over ten years instead of Buckingham Palace.

Princess Kate was present at the ceremony after recently opening up about the emotional and physical toll of her cancer recovery. She spoke candidly last week during a visit to Colchester Hospital.

Kate, who went public with her cancer diagnosis in March 2024 and confirmed her remission in January, described the recovery period as “life-changing” and emotionally difficult. She noted that adjusting to a new normal at home after treatment has been a significant challenge for her and her family.