King Charles Jokes He's Glad to Be 'Out of My Cage' on First Solo Outing amid Cancer Treatment

Charles met with the families and staff at the Royal School of Military Engineering on Thursday

King Charles has officially made his return to carrying out solo engagements.

On Thursday, May 9, the monarch, 75, made his first solo engagement since resuming his royal duties amid his cancer diagnosis.

Charles met with the staff and families of the Royal School of Military Engineering in Minley, in his capacity as Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Engineers. He also chatted with members of the 8 Engineer Brigade, which is the center's deployable unit.

During the outing, the monarch joked that he was glad to be “out of my cage."

The King has been easing back into his royal duties after Buckingham Palace announced he was undergoing treatment for cancer on Feb. 5. On April 30, he and Queen Camilla, 76, visited the University College Hospital Macmillan Cancer Centre, which marked Charles' first public outing since his diagnosis.

The following day, Queen Camilla said of her husband, "I think he was really thrilled to be out."

Related: King Charles and Queen Camilla Just Made Their First Joint Outing Since the Coronation Weekend

On Wednesday, May 8, Charles and Camilla hosted Buckingham Palace's first garden party of the year . The royal couple continued the longstanding tradition of inviting thousands of guests to visit the palace to show their appreciation for community members' public service.

The outing coincided with Charles' son Prince Harry's service commemorating the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Game at St. Paul's Cathedral in London. It was revealed that Harry would be unable to meet with his father Charles during his visit to the U.K. due to the monarch's "full" schedule.

The palace has not revealed the type of cancer Charles has, but a spokesperson previously said that "doctors are sufficiently pleased with the progress made so far."

"His Majesty is greatly encouraged to be resuming some public-facing duties and very grateful to his medical team for their continued care and expertise," the spokesperson added.

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The King began his visit on Thursday by meeting with Lord Lieutenant Nigel Atkinson and Major General Miller, before receiving a salute from the Quarter Guard. From there, he visited the officer's mess, where he heard stories from personnel and their family members about their journeys toward becoming Royal Engineers.

Related: King Charles and Queen Camilla Are Spending Some 'Private Time' at Special Place amid His Cancer Treatment

Additionally, he met with officers from 8 Engineer Brigade HQ, who provide support for deployed soldiers.

Before leaving the school, Charles signed the regiment’s visitors book and received gifts from some of the children of serving members.

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