LONDON — Britain's King Charles joked he had been "allowed out of his cage" on May 9 as he visited a military training college on his latest engagement since returning to public duties after his cancer diagnosis.

"I do apologise for taking you by surprise, but when this opportunity appeared and I had been allowed out of my cage, I wanted to come and see," he told soldiers as he met staff and their families at the 3 Royal School Of Military Engineering in southern England.

The 75-year-old monarch was "greatly encouraged" to get back to public-facing duties, Buckingham Palace said when he resumed engagements at the end of April.

His nephew Peter Phillips said in a TV interview his uncle had been frustrated by the pace of his recuperation.

The visit was the king's second engagement in two days after he hosted his first annual garden party at Buckingham Palace on May 8. However, the engagements meant he was unable to see his younger son Prince Harry, who was making a rare trip to UK this week from his home in California.

A spokesperson for Prince Harry said a reunion between King Charles and his estranged son would "not be possible due to his majesty's full programme".

Prince Harry was also busy on May 9, visiting bereaved military children in London, chatting and playing games with them and spending time with their parents, the charity hosting the event said.

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Source: Reuters