King Charles and Queen Camilla ‘in tears’ during unexpected moment

King Charles and Queen Camilla were both left emotional at a remembrance service after a guest made an unexpected moment during a speech

King Charles and Queen Camilla were “left in tears” after an unexpected emotional moment from a guest at a remembrance service. The monarch is set to lead the National Service of Remembrance at the Cenotaph on Sunday. As head of the Armed Forces, the King is said to find Remembrance Sunday “very important”.

Both his sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, served in the military, as did his grandfather King George VI. The King and Queen regularly show their respects to soldiers who have served in conflict. In August they attended the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire.

King Charles III receives a salute from veteran Yavar Abbas

It was there that former soldier Yavar Abbas, aged 105, brought a tear to the King’s eye. Mr Abbas, originally from Lucknow in India, was a captain in the 11th Sikh Regiment.

At the VJ Day commemoration service in August, he was set to read extracts from his diary recalling his time in Burma in 1945, but instead, turned to address the “brave king”.

Recalling the emotional moment on Radio 2, presenter Paddy O’Connell said: “One of them made the King and Queen cry recently. Yavar Abass is going to be 105. He joined the British Indian Army and he went off-script at the National Memorial Arboretum to celebrate the end of the Second World War.

“I was there and the BBC people were going, ‘Oh, what is he going to say’, and he said, ‘I’m going to salute my King who is here in front of me today, who would make his grandfather proud’. Both the King and Queen were reduced to tears.”

During the VJ Day service, Mr Abbas took a moment to honour the King for his dedication to his duties despite undergoing cancer treatment. He stated: “I make no apologies for briefly going off the script to salute my brave King, who is here with his beloved Queen in spite of the fact that he is under treatment for cancer.”

The King teared up as Mr Abbas spoke 

As applause echoed from the crowd of approximately 1,500 guests, Mr Abbas revealed his own battle with cancer, expressing hope that his 25-year remission might offer some “comfort”.

He continued: “I salute him for gracing this occasion, because by his presence here, he has gone a long way to make sure that his grandad’s 14th Army is never given the sobriquet again of The Forgotten Army.”

Mr Abbas shared with the Royal British Legion that he was a “radical Nationalist student” at the onset of the Second World War, advocating for India’s complete independence.

After enlisting, initially in a garrison battalion, he later trained as a combat cameraman and was dispatched to the front lines in Burma, “armed with a p!st0l and a Vinten film camera”. He documented the harrowing aftermath of the Battles of Imphal and Kohima, the crossing of the Irrawaddy and the Battle of Mandalay in early 1945.

King Charles with Mr Abbas 

He said: “I was defending democracy and freedom and everything that is good and noble about humanity! I didn’t put it in those terms at that time, but that must have been my driving force. I was proud to be in the army. I still am proud of what I did”.

In addition to spearheading the ceremony at the Cenotaph this weekend, the Royal Family will make an appearance at the Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall on Saturday.

This year’s programme will showcase performances from stars including Sir Rod Stewart, Blessing Offor, Sam Ryder, Keala Settle and The Wellermen.