Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and his wife, Lady Victoria Starmer, attended a special reception at Windsor Castle on Wednesday night, joining the King and Queen to honour carers across the UK.
The royal couple, alongside the Starmers, met with both paid and unpaid carers, as well as representatives from various charities, at the historic Berkshire residence.
In a printed message addressed to his guests, King Charles praised the millions of individuals dedicated to looking after loved ones nationwide.
He also acknowledged the estimated 1.6 million people employed within the adult social care sector.
“My wife and I are delighted to welcome you here this evening as we celebrate and give thanks to those remarkable individuals who dedicate their lives to the care of others,” the King’s message read.
“Across the United Kingdom today, there are some five million people providing unpaid care to a loved one,” he added.
“That is one in every 10 adults who, alongside the demands of their own lives, have taken upon their shoulders the sacred and selfless responsibility of caring for another human being.
“They do so not for recognition nor reward, but because their hearts compel them to.
“Alongside these wonderfully altruistic individuals stand the estimated 1.6 million professionals who work in social care – the nurses, care workers, support staff and countless others who have chosen to make compassion their vocation.
“Together, these two great pillars of care – and those charities and organisations which support them – form the foundation upon which so many families and society itself depends.”
Charles said he has been “privileged” to meet carers and individuals involved with the care sector throughout his life, adding he has felt “moved, time and again, by the resilience of those who give so much of themselves while asking for so little in return”.
The King’s message also touched on the challenges faced by carers, including isolation, exhaustion, and financial strain.
“We owe it to them not merely to offer our thanks, but our practical support,” he wrote.
“This is particularly true for those children and young people who shoulder responsibilities that would test the strongest among us,” the King added.
“There are hundreds of thousands of them across this nation, some as young as five years old, helping to care for parents, siblings or grandparents.
“They prepare meals, administer medication, provide emotional support and manage household chores, all while trying to navigate the ordinary challenges of growing up.
“While every carer deserves our respect, these young people merit our most profound admiration.
“It is beholden on us to ensure that their selflessness does not come at the cost of their own childhood, their education or their dreams.”
As many as one in five children in the UK may be young carers, according to an estimate by children’s charity Barnardo’s.
The King also addressed a message to those being cared for across the country.
“As for those who receive care, I particularly want to say this: you are not and you will never be a burden,” Charles’s message read.
“The care you require and receive is not a choice you can make, nor an imposition on others; it is in fact an expression of their devotion.”
There are 5.8 million unpaid carers in the UK, with 29 per cent providing more than 50 hours of care each week and women making up 59% of the unpaid carer population, according to the 2021 Census.
The reception on Wednesday marked the first time Sir Keir and the King have been seen together since the US authorities’ recent dump of millions of documents associated with the paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Both Charles and Sir Keir have been dealing with the fallout from the scandal, with the King expressing “profound concern” on Monday at allegations that his brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor shared confidential reports from his role as the UK’s trade envoy with sex offender Epstein.
Thames Valley Police previously confirmed it is assessing the claims.
The crisis also led to two departures from Downing Street, a call from the Scottish Labour leader for Sir Keir to resign, and reignited the scandal surrounding Lord Peter Mandelson’s appointment as the UK ambassador to the US despite his relationship with Epstein.
