The King showed his good sense of humour during a visit to a medical centre in London, joking about what happens when one "drops dead". His Majesty, 76, was speaking with ex-army personnel at Chatfield Health Care, who were making use of the facility's specialist services for veterans. He met David Wiggins, whose left arm was in a cast after he came off his bike in Richmond Park, fracturing his elbow and wrist. "Are they keeping that under control? I'm so glad," Charles said. When asked if it was "mending slowly," David told the King how he had three plates in his arm.
"I've got endless plates and screws in my arm as well," the King replied. "All that's left of you when you drop dead is 'Made in Switzerland.'" Charles had tea with David and four other veterans as he heard about how the Battersea-based facility specialises in helping former servicemen and women. "I'm so glad, I hadn't realised there was this marvellous effort in specialising with veterans in GP practices which is clearly making a big difference," Charles said.
The royal was shown around the facility by Dr Shane Barker, who pointed out that many veterans are often "quite proud" and "don't want to burden anyone else and like to sort it out themselves". The King replied: "The difficulty I suspect is that when you leave the forces then you're leaving that whole family of your unit. You're suddenly left wondering what to do, I presume, it must be a great help?"
During the visit, Charles asked if PTSD is still an issue. Brigadier Robin Simpson told him: "Absolutely. Unfortunately compared to the general population, veterans are more likely to get PTSD. It's not the biggest but it's a major issue. They won't present to the GP saying, 'I was in Afghanistan, I've got PTSD.' They'll say, 'I've got a headache, or I'm tired all the time.' The GP has to ask that question, 'Did you ever serve in the Armed Forces?' and then they'll tell them everything."
Chatfield Health Care was one of the first practices to join the Veteran Friendly programme, which is accredited by the Royal College of GPs and NHS England. All GP staff receive training and ongoing updates and support as part of this NHS programme.
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© Getty ImagesKing Charles' sporting injuries
The King has suffered several injuries throughout the years, with one particularly painful arm injury taking place in 1990 during a polo match. According to NHS nurse Gail Burbage, who treated the 42-year-old prince at the time, Charles arrived at the hospital in Nottingham with a broken elbow following a tumble from his horse.
She shared that Charles had a three-hour operation before residing in a normal side room on the ward, with a small bay occupied by his security team and personal assistants throughout his week-long stay.
"It was an honour to care for him. He was personable, chatty – the ideal patient. Of course, we had certain protocol we had to follow but he kept it all light-hearted and made it easy for us," Gail shared of Charles' time in hospital, adding they had to keep it a secret.
© GettyAfter his stay, Charles sent Christmas cards and gifts from Harrods to all the staff that had cared for him, and even sent a letter, which read: "I hope the bones will mend properly and allow me to, finally, escape from slings and plaster." He added: "Forgive me for the awful writing, but I am now trying to rediscover how to write with my right hand."
Ten years later, the King also fractured a bone in his shoulder when he fell off a horse during a fox hunt. He was thrown to the ground when his horse took an unexpected jump during a ride in Derbyshire, according to a palace spokeswoman.
