London, UK – Happy Birthday, King Charles! The British monarch celebrates his 78th birthday on Saturday, a little over four years since he ascended the throne. A lot has changed for the royals since then, especially in just the past few months.

Early on Saturday, the king received warm congratulations from his family. A photo of the monarch was posted on the official Instagram page of the royal family.

"Happy Birthday to His Majesty The King!" the caption read.

But he wasn't alone in the picture: Elton John was standing beside the king, as Charles was a guest on the singer's Rocket Hour radio show on Saturday.

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In the episode, they celebrated not only the king's birthday but also the 50th anniversary of "The King's Trust – one of the UK's best‑known charities for young people.

However, the past few months have not been easy for King Charles and have been dominated by two major issues: the scandal around his brother, former Prince Andrew Mountbatten‑Windsor, and the surprising return of his estranged son Prince Harry to the UK.

The negative headlines about Andrew peaked in February when he was arrested at his home for alleged abuse of power.

His ties to the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein also continue to cast a shadow over the British royal family. Charles stripped his brother of all titles, including his princely title.

But it wasn't all bad news for the monarch that year: After more than six years of estrangement, Charles and his son Harry have finally grown closer again!

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Since Harry moved with his family to the US in 2020, there had been a long period of radio silence between father and son – the serious accusations the 42‑year‑old made against the royal family were a major reason for that.

But that frosty era now appears to be over: Father and son repeatedly emphasized how important family harmony is to them – especially since they don't know how much time they have left together, given Charles' ongoing cancer battle.

After a few meetings, the Duke of Sussex and his wife, Meghan Markle, even returned to the UK with their two kids a few weeks ago, choosing a home near Charles' residence.

Still, Charles hinted at some lingering tension with a rare statement that reminded the public that Harry and Meghan are still not working members of the royal family.