During a “surprise” first military appearance since returning to public life, the King said he was glad to be “out of my cage”. In the initial stages of his cancer treatment, Charles, 75, was forced to stay away from public duties.

After receiving a guard salute at Gibraltar Barracks in Minley, Wiltshire, the King met staff and families of the 3 Royal School of Military Engineering, saying: “I do apologise for taking you by surprise, when this opportunity appeared and I had been allowed out of my cage, I wanted to come and have a look.”

The Prince of Wales, meanwhile, travelled to Cornwall for a two-day tour of the southwest.

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