London: King Charles III has been pictured back at work for the first time since revealing his cancer diagnosis, telling British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak that the cards and messages of goodwill had reduced him to tears.

Charles, 75, shook hands with Sunak on Wednesday afternoon (London time) as he arrived in Buckingham Palace’s audience room for their weekly meeting.

He has been seen heading to church in Sandringham and being driven to and from Clarence House in London, but it was the first sight of him in a formal setting since his cancer diagnosis was announced more than two weeks ago.

As Sunak entered the room he said: “It’s wonderful to see you looking so well”, to which the King joked in reply: “It’s all done by mirrors.”

Sunak then told the King: “Well, we’re all behind you, the country’s behind you.”

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The King responded: “You are kind. I’ve had so many wonderful messages and cards, and it reduces me to tears most of the time.”

Sunak said it had been “nice to see the spotlight that it’s shone” on the disease, to which Charles replied: “I hear there has been a lot more attention and interest on those main, wonderful cancer charities, many of which I’ve been a patron of for years.”

The rest of their meeting, a traditional opportunity for the politically neutral monarch to discuss current affairs of state with the prime minister of the day, was held in private as usual.