She said: “King Charles, standing looking more solitary than usual, was conspicuously backed up by a severely diminished Royal Family line-up, with Princess Anne missing and of course Andrew absent. As a result of this, and obviously the occasion itself, he appeared to be in a rather emotional state here.
“His eyes looked red-rimmed despite the relatively mild weather, and they appeared to glisten with tears throughout.
“His expression appeared reflective, but his features moved about to suggest suppressed emotions. He seemed to be swallowing heavily and his mouth moved a lot as he looked up at the Cenotaph.
“His emotional demeanor prompted a look of warmth, pride and support from Camilla, looking down from the royal balcony. As Charles walked back into the building she was seen throwing him a smile that seemed to signal ‘Well done’ to a husband whose tentative and slightly heavy gait hinted he was feeling a little frailer than usual.”